Update 8:40 PM – According to KJZZ’s Dennis Lambert, the Mesa City Council approved the deal. See y’all in Mesa in 2015!
The Mesa City Council has approved a 20-year agreement with the Oakland A’s, for them to play spring training games at Hohokam, on #ME.
— Dennis Lambert (@KJZZlambert) March 5, 2013
Original post:
At tonight’s Mesa City Council meeting (can’t get enough of city council meetings), item 13-1321 on the agenda is simply thus:
Resolution – Approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute a Facilities Use Agreement with The Athletics Investment Group LLC, for use of Hohokam Stadium and Fitch Park as their Spring Training facilities.
The link above also has attachments so that you can say what’s under consideration. According to the East Valley Tribune, a Study Session was held last Thursday to go over the details. $8.2 million in funding from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority was approved and accepted last month, though the Hohokam renovations project will have to wait in line to receive the funding. We’ve talked about that funding mechanism and the improvements planned for Hohokam Stadium and Fitch Park in previous posts.
What will the A’s get for the roughly $20 million being spent? Exhibit B has the laundry list:
- HOHOKAM PARK
- RECONFIGURE OUTFIELD FENCE
- REPLACE INFIELD MIX & RESOD MAIN FIELD
- REPAIR EXISTING SECURITY FENCE & SUNSCREEN
- REPLACE FENCE/RAIL PADDING & PAINT FIELD WALLS
- RAISE & REPLACE DUGOUT BENCHES
- PAINT INTERIOR OF STADIUM BOWL & DUGOUTS
- PAINT ALL STEEL BOWL COL, BEAMS, SUNSCREEN
- PAINT EXTERIOR OF STADIUM
- PAINT & CARPET BROADCAST & OFFICES ADJACENT TO SKYBOXES
- PAINT INTERIOR OF CONCOURSE AREAS
- TEAM SHOP RENOVATIONS
- EXPAND PLAYER’S & COACH’S PARKING LOT
- ADD SKYBOX
- CARPET AND PAINT EXISTING OFFICES
- PAINT INTERIOR & EXTERIOR OF EXISTING MAINTENANCE BUILDING
- EXTEND OUTDOOR PATIO DECK AT TEAM SUITE
- OUTDOOR PAVILIONS AT RIGHT & LEFT FIELDS
- CONCRETE PATCHING & EPOXY COATING
- ASSESS GENERAL & FIELD LIGHTING & SOUND SYSTEMS
- ASSESS MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- ASSESS ALL LOW VOLTAGE SPECIAL SYSTEMS
- NEW FIBER OPTICS AND CAMERAS
- STADIUM SIGNAGE ALLOWANCE
- NEW OAKLAND A’S MONUMENT ENTRY SIGN
- NEW TEAM ID 3D SIGN IN OUTFIELD
- OUTFIELD CONCRETE PATH
- NEW FAN BULLPEN AREA
- NEW FLAG COURT
- ADD MORE PRACTICE BULL PENS & EXPAND ROOF
- TAIL-GATE PATIO
- EXPAND LANDSCAPING AT OUTFIELD & BALLPARK FAÇADE
- GROTO (sic) BAR & SCOREBOARD W/GREEN ROOF
- FOOD TRUCK ACCESS ROAD
- REPLACE/ADD WINDSCREEN AT PRACTICE FIELDS
- REPLACE INFIELD MIX/SOD PRACTICE FIELDS
- NEW WIDER ENTRANCE AT EAST MAINTENANCE FOR BUSSES
- ASSESS BATTING CAGE LIGHTING, NETTING, ETC.
- NEW ID SIGNS ON TOP OF BATTER’S EYE
- RELOCATE HALF FIELD 35′ TO EAST
- REPLACE RIGHT FIELD BLEACHERS
EXHIBIT B FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS
- FITCH PARK
- RENOVATE & EXPAND EXISTING CLUB HOUSE
- PAINT EXTERIOR OF ALL EXISTING BUILDINGS
- RENOVATE OBSERVATION TOWER
- REPAIR OR REPLACE OUTFIELD WALL PADDING, SCREENING, & FENCING
- UPDATE BATTERS EYE SCREEN & FENCING
- GENERAL PATCHING & EPOXY COATING WORK
- FIBER OPTIC CABLING & CAMERAS TO FIELD & CAGES
- ASSESS ALL LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS
- ASSESS EXISTING MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- NEW WAYFINDING, ENTRY, ID, & SPECIALTY SIGNAGE
- RENOVATE & PAINT EXISTING MAINTENANCE FAC.
- PROVIDE PHONE & INTERNET-TECH UPGRADES
- ASSESS FIELD LIGHTING – POOR LIGHTING
- REMOVE 10″, REPLACE SOD & INFIELD MIX – ALL FIELDS
- INFILL OPEN BATTING CAGES W/GARAGE DOORS
- REPLACE PITCHING MOUNDS WITH AGILITY FIELD
- PROVIDE NEW MEDICINE BALL CMU WALL
- REDUCE 10-PACK MOUND AREA TO 6-PACK
- RELOCATE BULLPENS OFF FIELD IN CHAIN LINK FENCE
- ADD BLEACHER SEATING & SHADE STRUCTURES TO FOUR FIELDS
- PATCH & SEAL CONCRETE DUGOUTS
- PROVIDE TWO MONUMENTAL SIGNS
- ASSESS FLOOD IRRIGATION & REPLACE
- ASSESS SCOREBOARDS AT ALL FIELDS
- REMOVE IVY FROM FIELD 1 & 4 CHAIN LINK FENCING
- RECONFIGURE OUTFIELD WALLS AT FIELDS 2 & 3
- PROVIDE NEW BAT & HAT RACKS IN ALL DUGOUTS
That’s a lot of small improvements among a handful of huge improvements. The work is expected to begin shortly after spring training ends, running through 2014 and finishing in time for the 2015 spring training session. I figure the bulk of the work should be completed long before 2015. 2014 will mark the A’s last season at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, with Arizona State’s baseball program moving in after the A’s and the Cubs leaving for Wrigleyville West in 2014.
The council session won’t be broadcast live except on local Mesa cable TV, so yours truly won’t have the chance to cover it as it happens. Nevertheless, there should be some news emanating from there shortly after the vote, so check back here later tonight for an update.
newballpark.org 
Any idea where the list came from? Was that a previous list of requests from the Cubs or did it originate from the A’s?
@gojohn10 – I bet the A’s compared notes with the Cubs.
saw your reply to olbermann on twitter. wow is hohokam park right next to a cemetery. who decided to approve that location? hopefully the new improvements made will make fans forget when they enter the park.
Seems like an insane amount of money to spend on a perfectly functional facility, but as long as it’s not the city’s money. I suppose they think it’s OK. For what? 16-17 ST home games at most? It still doesn’t fix the Cubs main complaint about the stadium and training areas being in different complexes a half-mile apart.
I’ve been to HoHoKam many many times, in talking to the fellow lawn dwellers, one thing is clear: very, very few of us stay in Mesa hotels when we visit, or spend much money there. There are a few bars within a mile of the park, but the park itself is in a mostly downscale residential area (though not as rough as Maryvale.) You don’t notice the cemetery at all.
KJiZZ. Love it
Road trip to Muni in 2014. I’ll miss the old girl.
I like Hohokam better than Muni, but will really miss Papago. Mesa isn’t nearly as pretty.
To recycle an old joke,
The Giants have just entered into an agreement to purchase the practice fields of nearby Kerr Elementary and have claimed Mesa, AZ as their territory.
How come the A’s won’t move to AZ for their new ballpark…
@berry – In case you aren’t being facetious, there is already a team called the “Arizona Diamondbacks” that plays in Phoenix during the season.
@ML
Diamondbacks suck….used to love how they beatthe sf gnats….not anymore…I think the A’s can replace them
Definitely looking forward to the A’s moving into a newer ballpark, even if only for spring training. HoHoKam is a much nicer venue than Muni and is definitely more fan oriented.
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few
of the images aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a
linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both
show the same outcome.