When it opened in March 1998 at what at the time was a princely construction cost of $28 million, Jupiter, Florida’s Roger Dean Stadium was the new state-of-the-art spring home of the Montreal Expos and St. Louis Cardinals.
20 years later and the Expos are long gone, replaced by the Miami Marlins. Most importantly, the Jeffrey Loria years of ownership are over. Though the replacement Derek Jeter-Bruce Sherman group initially picked up a similar spendthrift reputation, the new owners are showing a willingness to invest in at least one area – long-overdue upgrades to the Jupiter facility – an initiative that required both teams to be in agreement.
Of course, that cooperation is necessary, but not sufficient.
Like most every other stadium improvement project, public assistance is being requested to expand and renovate the 7,000-seat facility. On Thursday, May 10, representatives of both teams appeared before an advisory board, the Tourist Development Council of Palm Beach County, to make their $100 million pitch, reported the Palm Beach Post.
Specific items on the wish list include a wraparound concourse, expanded outfield seating, entirely new clubhouses, agility fields, additional batting tunnels, expansion of the team store, a new scoreboard and more shaded seating areas.
Perhaps the most important element, the cost equation, is still to be determined. The two clubs are offering to pay for part of the renovations, although the exact amount is unclear. They are also requesting up to $50 million from the State of Florida, to be paid over a 25-year period, as well as tourism (hotel) tax revenues from the county.
The current lease between the Cardinals/Marlins and the County will expire in 2027, but if the project is approved, the two clubs would commit to staying for an additional 20 years. That 2047 date coincides with the conclusion of the comparable contract with the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros for their new joint facility in West Palm Beach that opened just last spring.
Several Tourist Council members expressed concerns over the competition for funds with other projects as well as whether the additional spending would increase tourism. However, the higher-level County Commission will be the ultimate decision-maker as to whether or not tourism taxes will be allocated to the project.
So, what will likely be a long approval process has just begun.
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