The Arizona Diamondbacks’ home venue, Chase Field, will be upgraded after Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill Friday earmarking $500 million toward renovations.
The measure will direct sales tax collected at the Phoenix stadium and nearby buildings, plus taxes from some club employees, to be used for the facility improvements.
The Diamondbacks have also pledged $250 million to the project.
Hobbs signed the bill in a ceremony attended by Diamondbacks players Corbin Burnes and Corbin Carroll.
The governor tweeted, “I’m not going to let Arizona lose the Diamondbacks. Today, I signed a bipartisan deal to keep the @Dbacks in downtown Phoenix — creating good-paying jobs and making sure families can enjoy baseball for generations. Let’s play ball!”
Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall told Phoenix’s 12News, “We weren’t sure what Plan B was going to be if we couldn’t fund this building in a renovation. I’m grateful to (Hobbs). She’s a supporter. She’s a baseball fan, a Diamondbacks fan, and I’m a fan of hers.”
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said of the news, “This is an unbelievable measure. This was something that was passed and has been in the works for a long time. … I’m grateful for everybody making the sacrifice and saying, ‘Let’s keep the Arizona Diamondbacks in Arizona where they belong.'”
Upgrades will be made to Chase Field’s retractable roof and to the venue’s air conditioning in addition to other infrastructure areas.
Attendance is up in Phoenix this year, two seasons after the Diamondbacks won the National League championship before falling to the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
Arizona lost another major sports team last year when the NHL’s Coyotes moved to Salt Lake City and were renamed the Utah Hockey Club and subsequently the Utah Mammoth.
–Field Level Media
