Venue Detail
Tacoma Rainiers
Revenues From Sports Venues Pro Facilities Report
January, 2010
Tacoma Rainiers
|
2502 S Tyler Tacoma, WA 98405-1051 Phone: 253-752-7707 Fax: 253-752-7135 URL: www.tacomarainiers.com Owner: David Hersh League: Pacific Coast League Pacific Conference, North
Venue
Cheney Stadium, 2502 S Tyler, Tacoma, WA 98405-1051 Owner: City of Tacoma Managed by: Team Built: 1960 Capacity: 10,000 Permanent concession stands: 1 Concessionaire: Team Soft drink: Pepsi Cola Beer: Rainier
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $250 to $600 Single tickets range from $5.00 to $12.00 2007 average attendance: 4,866 2008 average attendance: 4,751 2009 average attendance: 4,964
The Tacoma Rainiers have signed a 32-year lease for use of Cheney Stadium that includes a plan for a $30 million renovation of the Venue that must be complete by March 2011.
City and team officials say the Rainiers will cover most of the $28 million in bond debt for ballpark renovations over the next 25 years through increased rent paid by the team and additional revenues generated by games at the ballpark.
But a good portion of that money – roughly a third of the annual debt payments – will come directly from fans, via increased admissions and concessions taxes and up to a 50-cent facility fee added to each ticket.
The non-profit Cheney Foundation has committed another $5 million over the next five years to help cover debt service – a donation that, in part, is motivated to preserve the ballpark's name.
An additional $2 million that is not a part of the bond issue – money Pierce County paid to Tacoma for the city's stake in the County-City building – also will go toward the $30 million renovation.
The city will pick up the rest of the tab – about $6 million in bond debt to be covered over time by revenues from non-baseball events at the ballpark and annual payments from the general fund.
Under terms of the lease, the Rainiers will pay $500,000 in annual rent as Cheney Stadium's primary tenants through September 2041. From that rent payment, $50,000 will go into a capital maintenance fund to help cover big-ticket ballpark upgrades as needed.
The lease obligates the city to renovate the ballpark with amenities and improvements including new seating for 8,000 fans, 16 luxury suites, a kid's play area, outfield berm seating and eight to 10 dugout suites – in-the-ground seating areas below the ballpark's front-rows.
The remodeled ballpark also must boast a new team shop, club-level restaurant, dugouts, team clubhouse, press box and substantially more rest rooms and concession stands.
Contractors will submit design proposals by the end of December. A public review of the plans, followed by the city's final selection, will occur in early January.
Renovations must be completed by Opening Day 2011 or the contractor faces a $100,000 per game penalty, capped to a total of $500,000.
Opened in 1960, Cheney Stadium has not had a ballpark-wide renovation in its history, city and team officials say. Over the years, most upgrades have come piecemeal, including recent additions of a new playing field and scoreboard.
The On Deck Club is available for groups on a per-game basis. Fans get to sit on the deck and have seats in the stands. On the deck there is wait service and a private entrance. Prices are $250 for groups of 25 and $500 for groups of 500. (Baseball. Facilities, Financial, MinorTeam, Professional Sports, Venue)