The Chicago Cubs are starting their campaign to win a Nov. 2 election that would let it and the city build a massive new spring training complex dubbed Wrigleyville West.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said Thursday he and team officials will blanket Mesa to speak with community leaders, Little League parents – and voters.
“We’re making ourselves available to talk to everybody and hopefully we can keep the momentum going,” Ricketts said.
The team needs voter support because of a city charter provision that requires approval for sports facilities that cost more than $1.5 million. The stadium and training fields will cost about $84 million, split by the team and the city. The surrounding commercial development would be privately funded.
Ricketts acknowledged Arizona’s been hit by the recession but said the team is pitching the economic benefits of building a baseball destination.
The team already has players training here all year and wants to expand the Cubs experience to include more activities for children, some kind of museum or memorabilia collection and places for fans to linger before and after games.
“We obviously are aware of the situation in Arizona and respect that things haven’t been easy the last few years but from our standpoint, we think that if we do it right, this is a way to put dollars in the economy,” Ricketts said. “Just because things are going sideways right now in the economy doesn’t mean you stop planning for the future. I mean, we’re talking bout 30 more years of Cubs baseball in Mesa.”
Ricketts, a lifelong Cubs fan who met his wife at Wrigley Field in Chicago, met with the Tribune’s editorial board Thursday to discuss the campaign.
The team’s Mesa ties date to the 1950s but its future came into question last summer as developer in Naples, Fla., wooed the franchise. The team is looking for the kinds of spring training facilities built recently in the West Valley.
The team practices at Fitch Park and Hohokam Stadium, which is across from a cemetery and surrounded by houses.
The Cubs need a facility that can tie into related development, Ricketts said. The goal is to create a better experience for the city, the players and the fans, Ricketts said.
“They like the experience that they get inside Hohokam, but they don’t particularly care for the experience that they get outside the stadium,” Ricketts said. “They have parking issues, they have nowhere to go for lunch. We’re limited. If we put our heads together, we can solve for all three of those issues.”
The Cubs’ campaign will become visible next week, when signs will pop up across the city. A website, www.keepthecubs.com, will appear in about a week. The team plans what it calls a grassroots campaign.
The team continues to hunt for the best site among three contenders. The Riverview Park site is of particular interest to the Cubs, Ricketts said. It’s also looking near Thomas and Recker roads. A downtown site was suggested by the city recently, but Ricketts said that one hasn’t been as closely evaluated.
Mesa is studying the pros and cons of each site, including the economic opportunities, City Manager Chris Brady said. A report should be out in two weeks.
City officials have said they’d prefer the team have a site selected by the November election, or narrowed down to as few possibilities as possible.
Ricketts said it could take longer, especially because the Riverview site isn’t fully available. The site is where the Waveyard water park and resort is proposed, but its options on the land expire in July if it doesn’t begin the project.
The team’s goal is to open the new complex in 2013, but Ricketts acknowledged that could be pushed back a year.
Captain Jude posted at 1:46 pm on Mon, Feb 20, 2012.
The Wrigleyville "Sewerview" Stadium is a axiom. The City of Mesa sewer treatment has no business conducting business as usual in an area that will subject so many citizens to its stick-a-rama.
trigama posted at 9:26 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
Lets just start a petition to kick the idiots out of office !
Just Like the stadium. They spent all the thier time and our money convincing us we needed it, they lost Costco to Gilbert. Talk about tax revenue the store sells over 1.5 million a day 360 days out of the year . Thats 20 -30 million in tax $$$$
Mesa Citizen posted at 3:46 pm on Sun, Aug 29, 2010.
Dear Tom Ricketts,
Take your Cubs back to 0Bamaville...
I would rather have a "AAA" Team that appreciates the current stadium...
Raise your hand if you understand...
Patriot posted at 10:56 am on Sat, Aug 28, 2010.
If a new stadium is built, the city will still have to maintain the current one and its practice fields in addition to a new stadium and its practice fields. Where is the money going to come from? Are we to expect more budget cuts to city service departments, including the police and fire departments? I am becoming less and less impressed witih the so called business savvy that Smith claimed to have while running for mayor.
How amazing that Smith can find money to build a new stadium by selling off city property. Pooman is right, that money could and should be used to offset the reduction in tax revenures that resulted in a reduction of city services and employee layoffs. Describing Mesa as being run by a wasteful city government is an understatement.
Poorman, I'll go you one further. Chris Brady, the city manager, increased his staff over what the previous city manager had for years. With a reduction in city employees, there is no need for that large a staff at the city manager's office. The excess in his department should be eliminated and the savings in payroll used to fund city services, including and especially the code enforcement and animal control departments that are running on skeleton crews. It is my strong opinion that Mesa's citizens are being shortchanged by the curent city manager who should be replaced. The city council should also be providing better oversight since the city manager does answer directly to them.
wonderweenie posted at 9:03 am on Sat, Aug 28, 2010.
City of Mesa employs 1 animal control officer for the entire city. That's an utter disgrace yet Scottie old boy refuses to hire any more. Yet he will do anything including shoving this down the taxpayers throats to keep the Cubs. I smell a rat and this stinks to high heaven.
forkedlift1 posted at 12:38 am on Sat, Aug 28, 2010.
Correction:
My previous post should have said, "Before early balloting begins, long before November, a signed, site-specific City of Mesa-Cubs development AGREEMENT is a must."
forkedlift1 posted at 12:34 am on Sat, Aug 28, 2010.
"City officials have said they’d prefer the team have a site selected by the November election, or narrowed down to as few possibilities as possible."
Prefer? Before early balloting begins, long before November, a signed, site-specific City of Mesa-Cubs development is a must. That is, if they want voter approval. $84 million to be funded out of the City's enterprise fund is no small chump change.
Patriot posted at 1:06 pm on Fri, Aug 27, 2010.
Tom Ricketts and Scott Smith, charity begins at home.
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A $700,000 shortfall in pledges and donations to its $4 million campaign has prompted the Mesa United Way to issue an urgent appeal to the East Valley for help. Unless the gap is closed, United Way funding will be cut to dozens of agencies that help thousands of individuals and families.
Normally, the generosity of corporations meets these needs through workplace United Way campaigns. But simply put, there are not as many workers anymore to donate, as an increasing number of local companies have laid off employees and made deep cuts of their own. This means that not only are donations to the United Way down, but the number of people seeking help from United Way-funded agencies is up.
“The number of unemployment checks being written every week has gone up three-fold, four-fold,” said Carol McCormack, president and chief professional officer of Mesa United Way. “The stress is just so significant on all of us. Families and neighbors who never had these issues before are having them now.”
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/columnists/article_a03966c4-61db-11df-be86-001cc4c03286.html
Poorman posted at 12:50 pm on Fri, Aug 27, 2010.
The Cubs can pitch all they want to,as long as no taxpayer money is involved. Mesa should use any money the get,to restore cuts in services to we citizens,but they won't as its obvious they could care less what we taxpayers and voters want.
snipes posted at 9:09 am on Fri, Aug 27, 2010.
Who wants to sit in the hot sun--for hours at a time--breathing in the stench of the Riverview Sewage Treatment Plant?
The Wrigleyville "Sewerview" Stadium.
Has a nice ring to it.
Rich posted at 7:05 am on Fri, Aug 27, 2010.
Richins tries to sell Riverside Park and Golf Course part three. Auto Dealerships, Water Park, now Cub's Park. Has anybody considered an option where we get a nice little fishing pond, some super softball fields and a fairly challenging and affordable nine hole golf course? I think more people would use it.
forkedlift1 posted at 1:56 am on Fri, Aug 27, 2010.
"City officials have said they’d prefer the team have a site selected by the November election, or narrowed down to as few possibilities as possible."
Prefer?? City and Cubs will have to do better than that. A site-specific signed development agreement between Cubs and Mesa before early voting begins is a must.
trigama posted at 8:39 pm on Thu, Aug 26, 2010.
Mesa also wants to spend 10 million dollars to narrow Southern Ave. Between Dobson and Alma School and put in sidewalks and landscaping. They are using funds from a vote from 3years ago that was advertized as taxes for road maintainance and improvements.
tededitedit posted at 8:18 pm on Thu, Aug 26, 2010.
I just can't believe the "economic impact" numbers here. How long until Mesa really sees positive tax revenue? How many jobs for U.S. citizens who live in Mesa, AZ will this create? How many restaurants and bars will just move there from other parts of Mesa hurting those areas? When will the Cubs be a consistent winner? If we remove ego and insert common sense we'd realize that major projects to save Mesa would involve cleanup, not new things on vacant land.
trigama posted at 8:10 pm on Thu, Aug 26, 2010.
Police and fire give me a break they work 3-4 day a week have a full pension at 45 yrs. And do not get me started on the sympathy votes everytime the city overspends and wants more money. police,fire education, DUI bla bla bla. Stop voting for this BS
trigama posted at 8:05 pm on Thu, Aug 26, 2010.
Recker and the 202 NO NO NO !!!!!! Put it in Riverview or Florida. It needs an area were traffic can disperse in all directions. Higley and Recker roads cannot handle that kind of traffic. Oh and lets not forget about airplane traffic. Having Airplanes fly over at take off are pretty distracting
Butters posted at 7:12 pm on Thu, Aug 26, 2010.
Arizonaboy, just get the word out for people who are against anymore corporate welfare to bazillionaires to get out and vote it down. If Ricketts can put the project on hold a year because of Waveyard, he can put it on hold until the economy improves and the city has a chance to get back on its feet. What am I saying? The bazillionaire should pay for the stadium, not the taxpayers. I would like to punch the person who started these giveaways right in the mouth.
arizonaboy posted at 5:51 pm on Thu, Aug 26, 2010.
I guess were going to get this shoved down our throats weather we want it or not.
It's what Scott wants and thats all that matters I guess.
As far as I'm concerned the cubs and Scott can go to Florida. If we want to spend, lets spend on Police and Fire.