Another spring-training complex will receive a facelift, as the New York Mets and St. Lucie County agreed to a new 25-year lease that will end up in upgrades over the next two years to the team’s longtime Grapefruit League home, Tradition Field.
The deal had been in the works for over a year, as the county and the team worked out a financial plan that worked for both sides, with the inclusion of possible state funding via a spring-training retention fund as well. The Mets would pay down the existing Tradition Field debt of $5.4 million, while the county would then issue $55 million in new bonds for the facility upgrades backed by the bed tax, with the contingency that state funding much come through before the upgrades begin. The Mets would then see a rental bump up to $2 million a year for 25 years, as well as commit $400,000 to county tourism promotion.
The upgrade plan would see the ballpark upgraded with a 360-degree concourse, three new Little League baseball/softball fields for county use, a new player dorm/academy, new clubhouses and team offices, an additional practice field, and new fan seating.
http://www.springtrainingonline.com/mets-st-lucie-county-agree-to-tradition-field-upgrades/
Nice park.
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