Venue Detail
Frederick Keys
Revenues From Sports Venues Pro Facilities Report
February, 2011
Frederick Keys
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6201 New Design Rd. Frederick, MD 21703-6558 Phone: 301-662-0013 Fax: 301-662-0018 URL: www.frederickkeys.com
Owner
Maryland Baseball Holdings LLC
League
Carolina League Northern
Venue
Harry Grove Stadium, 6201 New Design Dr, Frederick, MD 21703-6558 Owner: City of Frederick Managed by: Owner Built: 1990 Capacity: 5,500 Permanent concession stands: 5 Concessionaire: Ovations Food Services Suite caterer: Ovations Food Services Soft drink: Pepsi Cola Beer: Multiple
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $569 to $569 Single tickets range from $8.00 to $11.00
Attendance
2007 average attendance: 4,422 2008 average attendance: 4,479 2009 average attendance: 4,584
Luxury Suites
Quantity: 12 Term: 1 to 1 years Price: $12,000 to $12,000 Seats: 14 to 14 Includes: Tickets.
The ballpark also has a restaurant and picnic area. The picnic area was expanded for 2001 along with more box seats.
In 2007, the Keys signed a new two-year lease for Harry Grove Stadium.
The lease calls for a two-year term, ending March 31, 2009, with the option of a five-year renewal. Rent would be $16,500 for the first year, $17,000 for the second year.
The ballpark and the Keys now generate an estimated $7.8 million a year, with 109 jobs, according to an executive report to the city. A private consultant's report estimated that events at the ballpark could begin to generate more than $10.5 million and 147 jobs as planned improvements to the ballpark are phased in and events become more frequent.
The city will net more than $114,000 a year from an admission and amusement tax. The Keys would also pay $500 to the city for each event that isn't baseball related.
The baseball team's owners will pay all utilities costs and normal building maintenance, as well as upkeep on the public address system and scoreboard, which are owned by the city.
Under the renewal discussions after the second year, all terms and conditions, including rent, would be up for renegotiation.
The stadium's name is one of the more interesting naming rights deals in the business. When the stadium was being planned in 1989, Frederick Mayor Ron Young held a news conference about a budget shortfall, and joked that anyone who came to his office with $250,000 could name the ballpark whatever they wanted.
M.J. Grove read the mayor's comments in the local paper, and went to his office the following week. He didn't have an appointment, and sat in Young's office for an hour before he told the secretary that he would come back the next day, according to news reports. He came back, and this time he got to see the mayor. He told Young he had a check for $250,000 to finish the ballpark, as long as he could name it. Young said, fine, and the Keys new ballpark opened in 1990 as Harry Grove Stadium, after M.J. Grove's father. (Baseball, Facilities, Financial, MinorLeagueVenueReport, Professional Sports)