Financing OKd for Home of Padre Spring Training
The final obstacle in the Padres’ planned move to Peoria, Ariz., for spring training was removed Wednesday when the Maricopa County Stadium District Board approved spending $11.5 million to build a baseball complex in Peoria.
The board voted 4-0 in favor of the plan with one abstaining because of a possible conflict of interest.
The Padres and the Seattle Mariners have signed letters of intent to hold spring training in Peoria. The Mariners would train in Peoria in 1993 and the Padres would begin a 20-year commitment in 1994, the year after their agreement with Yuma expires.
Under the agreement, Peoria would put up about $6 million in infrastructure for the sports complex. The rest would be financed through a bond issue.
The stadium board earlier had rejected a stadium proposal because the teams had not committed to Peoria.
The approval was bad news for Yuma County, where the Padres have trained for 23 years. Yuma would lose an estimated $4.5 million that the Padres generate for the city, said Steve Bills, Yuma parks and recreation director.
District Board Chairman Jim Bruner had joined Yuma leaders in criticizing the Peoria plan because it relocates a team within the Cactus League. Year-old legislation giving stadium districts taxing powers was intended to promote maintenance of existing stadiums and attract new teams, he said.
Team and county officials were concerned about how Yuma would perceive the move. Supervisor Carole Carpenter said the decision could be perceived as Maricopa County stealing the team from Yuma.
“I don’t feel they stole them. But I don’t feel good about it either,” Yuma Mayor Bob Tippett said.
“I don’t look for (Yuma) to understand,” said Bob Wells, vice president of finance for the Padres. “I just hope to have them at least respect us for making this decision in our best interests.”
The Padres have said the only drawback to having spring training in Yuma was the distance from the other Cactus League teams, concentrated in the Phoenix area.