The Arizona Diamondbacks are deadlocked in negotiations for a new lease at their home ballpark, Chase Field, in Phoenix. As first reported by Axios, hundreds of millions of tax dollars earmarked for stadium repairs are in limbo until a lease is finalized.
Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall told Axios that lease negotiations with the board overseeing the Maricopa County Stadium District have been unproductive for the past 14 months.
State Sen. Mitzi Epstein (D-Tempe) is one of several new members on the board, which now includes representatives appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, as well as Phoenix and Maricopa County officials.
She said negotiations have been complex.
“We certainly don't want them to come back to the taxpayers in another five or 10 years and say, ‘Oh boohoo, the stadium needs more repairs, we need more money from you,’ that would be terrible. So the lease is the way that we can enforce accountability,” Epstein said.
A signed lease will give the Diamondbacks access to $500 million for stadium repairs and renovations over a 30-year period, thanks to a law Gov. Katie Hobbs signed last year.
Epstein vehemently opposed the Diamondbacks bill and still says that taxpayer dollars shouldn’t pay for the stadium’s upkeep.
As a member of the board, Epstein said her focus is on transparency and accountability for taxpayer dollars, not the speed of repairs.
“Sometimes I have felt like the team wants to maximize the money they have available for the team and you know the board wants to optimize that facility’s usefulness,” she said.
Epstein added, there’s been disagreement about how long to allow or incorporate public comment into lease discussions.
The Diamondbacks did not respond to a request for comment.
The Diamondbacks actually don’t have a lease now. They’re operating under a memorandum of understanding with Maricopa County, which is set to expire after the 2027 season.
An assessment of the stadium presented in July estimated the stadium repairs will actually cost $600 million, which is more than they can currently afford.
About $300 million of that is for “mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems.” Another $230 million would be for technology assessments.
As of July, the board has done $20 million in repairs, including getting a new scoreboard.
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