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Lee County approves deal

Email|Link|Comments (7) Posted by Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff October 28, 2008 11:08 AM

The Lee County Board of Commissioners approved a proposal by a 3-1 margin today to build a new spring training facility for the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla.

Red Sox chief operating officer Mike Dee was at the meeting and present for the vote. Red Sox management now has to decide whether it will approve the proposal. The Fort Myers News-Press website reported that Dee expects to have an answer from owner John Henry and other team officials in "a week or so."

According to the News-Press, the plan calls for a 9,999-seat stadium that will resemble Fenway Park. With berm seating and standing-room-only space, capacity should approach 12,000. Neither the county nor Dee wanted to be specific about an exact location for the new facility until proposals came in from developers, the News-Press reported.

Lee County commissioner Brian Bigelow, the lone dissenting vote, expressed concern for the future of City of Palms Park, the Red Sox' current home located in downtown Fort Myers.

"I would feel better if we had someone to co-locate in City of Palms Park," Bigelow told the newspaper. He said another team has not yet been contacted. The ballpark has been the Red Sox' spring training home since 1993.

The Sox had used the threat of an out clause in their contract to flirt with going to Sarasota, Fla., for a new facility there. But it wasn't a perfect option, since there the Red Sox would have a split facility between two locations, which they already had in Fort Myers.

There does seem to be an interesting part of the Fort Myers situation, which is that they're relying on a property owner to donate 80 acres of land on which to build a new stadium.

(Chad Finn of the Globe staff contributed to this report.)

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7 comments so far...

It just passed
I live here in Ft Myers and have been watching on the computer

Posted by Peter Reycroft October 28, 08 12:02 PM

Wait a second the Red Sox are hoping a property owner will "donate land" and up to 80 acers to boot? Why would this land owner do that? Why wouldn't the Sox just buy it if it is available? it's ntot lik ethey are lacking in funds or anything. I am not one to harp on how much money a team/player makes but to get free land in a bad real estate value time is just unbelievable. The Sox should pony up some cash. Last why should the tax payers pay for this or any stadium for that matter this has always got under my skin with team owners. At least the Kraft's paid for their own stadium.

Posted by Dennis October 28, 08 04:19 PM

9,999 seats? Why not make it 10,000?

Posted by Beeg October 28, 08 05:02 PM

i wonder where they came up the figure of 9,999 for which the purpose stadium will hold ?

Posted by doug October 28, 08 06:20 PM

If this new site is at the corner of Beach and Surf St, I know the land owners. There's no way they will sell.

Posted by JamesJr October 29, 08 01:11 AM

9,999 seats allows it to come in below a slew of government-mandated inclusions and management studies required of any stadium 10,000 or over.

...and a developer would gladly donate 80 acres "off the beaten path" if the developer owns additional adjacent property which would see a massive spike in value if the Sox complex were built next door.

The Sox will be ponying up a bit... $500,000 per year in the form of a lease payment... and the County is asking for a 30-year firm commitment,

Posted by J.C. Long October 29, 08 10:58 PM

As a follower of these procedings, let me mention a few things....The reason for 9999 seats is that if you propose 10,000 or more, your proposal will require State approval, not County. I suspect the reason for soliciting the free land is that the six-or-so parcels the county is looking at are 100 acres and up. The county would hasten development rights to the developer if he agrees to donate the 80 acres the Sox need, then he could develop the rest of his property with restaurant, hotels, etc. My guess is that the new park will be in South Lee County (Estero has multiple adequate sites as does Bonita Springs). The Commisioners propose it to be in an area bounded on the North by Daniels Pkwy, the South by the County Line, the East by rte 952 and the West by Rte 41. Since the park will have many more seats than City of Palms Park, it would be nice to see the Sox share ticket receipts on the excess seats in the new facility with the County.

Posted by Dave C October 30, 08 08:00 AM