Venue Detail
St. Paul Saints
RSV Pro Facilities Report
February, 2016
St. Paul Saints
360 N Broadway St St. Paul, MN 55101 Phone: 651-644-6659 Fax: 651-644-1627 URL: www.saintsbaseball.com Owner: Bill Murray, Mike Veeck, Marvin Goldklang League: American Association,
Venue
CHS Field, 360 N Broadway St, St. Paul, MN 55101 Owner: City of St. Paul Managed by: Team Built: 2015 Capacity: 7,210 Permanent concession stands: 12 Concessionaire: The Levy Restaurants Soft drink:
Naming rights
Sold to: Cenex
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $595 to $1,225 Single tickets range from $6.00 to $18.00
Attendance
2013 average attendance: 4,886 2014 average attendance: 5,279
Suites
Quantity: 4 Seats: 16 to 16
Club seats
Quantity: 766 Term: 3 to 5 years Price: $3,500 to $3,500
Financing
The $63 million ballpark was funded under a development agreement approved by the city council.
The city received $25 million from the state in special bonding deal after the 2012 session. The city planned to pay $19 million, and the Saints put in $11 million, although most of that will be paid off with extra revenue generated by the new venue. The Saints also contributed $1.5 million in cash. the St. Paul Port Authority gave $8.5 million in bond funding.
The Saints opened their new venue venue in 2015.
The first $500,000 from the sale of naming rights goes to the Saints organization. The remainder will help pay down the city's internal loan to the project, which has been whittled from $6 million to $1.2 million through various grants.
Any money remaining from naming rights after that would go back to the team.
Under the use agreement, the team will share 5 percent of net revenues between $500,000 to $1.5 million with the city, 7.5 percent of net revenues from $1.5 million to $2.5 million, and 10 percent of net revenues over $2.5 million.
The company behind Cenex gasoline, Dean's Dips, Marie's salad dressing and the Miracle of Birth Center at the State Fairgrounds purchased naming rights for an undisclosed sum. The venue will be known as CHS Field.
Saints co-owner Marvin Goldklang said that while money played a large role, it wasn't the bottom line in going with CHS. He said CHS has built its reputation around "fun, family, farms," which is close to the Saints' own philosophy. "Obviously, the dollars are important," he said. "They have the three Fs -- fun, family, farms. We've got two of them."
CHS is a major grain handler, oil refiner, food processor, fuel marketer, grain exporter and fertilizer distributor. It serves – and is owned by – farmers and ranchers across the Midwest, into Canada and to the Pacific Coast.
The new ballpark name will help boost the "Fortune 100" company's name recognition, at least locally. The CHS business territory is a near-perfect match with the Saints' baseball region. The Saints regularly play teams from the Midwest and Great Plains, including Sioux Falls, Wichita, Fargo-Moorhead, Lincoln and Winnipeg.
The company will gain access to the ballfield in the off-season for promotional outreach to its member-owners and employee use, such as kick-offs for United Way campaigns.
The Saints are required to "financially and functionally" operate the ballpark in a way that is consistent with their former operations at Midway Stadium on Energy Park Drive. The city will contribute $50,000 annually for operations and maintenance, same as at Midway Stadium.
For their first three years at the ballpark, the Saints will receive $75,000 annually in groundskeeping money from the city.
The Saints will contribute $92,500 annually into a capital fund, though the city will have final say over large capital expenditures.
A provision in the agreement discourages -- but hardly guarantees -- the team from being sold within the next seven years.
If the team is sold before May 2020, the city will retain 1 percent of the sale price. If it's sold in 2019, the city will retain 2 percent. For a sale in 2018, the city would keep 3 percent. In 2017, it would be 4 percent. If the team is sold before the first pitch, the city would retain 10 percent.
If the team is sold after May 2020, the city will not retain any of the sale proceeds.
Most of the suites in the venue are designed for groups. The Star Tribune Skybox combines the hospitality of a suite with the fun of a large party. This open-air area overlooking the field from the Club & Suite Level can accommodate 50-60 guests and includes a pre-game meal with soda and water. The space is filled with high top tables and chairs along with stadium seats. The price is $57 per person.
The team also offers the Killebrew Root Beer Box seats at field level with a box attendant. Each space holds 10-12 people in the left-centerfield space. The cost is $30 per person.
A large luxury suite is an air conditioned indoor area as well as an outdoor patio. This nightly rental location will provide an upscale experience, complete with high top tables and chairs, along with stadium seats and a suite attendant. The suite can accommodate 25-36 guests with exclusive access to the patio area. Light appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages are served with the option of ordering pre-purchased meals to be served. The cost is $100 per guest. (Facilities, Baseball, Minor League, Professional Sports, Venue)