|
Message from D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Season Ticket Holders:
We wanted to reach out to you in light of the recent news regarding the stadium and the now unfortunate public battle between the D-backs and Maricopa County. It is sad that this became public, as we have attempted to resolve the County's financial issues privately for almost four years.
This all began when the County conducted an engineering assessment of the facility in 2013 and discovered that $187 million of repair costs would be necessary through the life of our deal. As our landlord, they made it clear to us that they do not and never will, have the ability to fulfill that shortfall. With that news, we have asked for the right to explore options, including staying at Chase Field. We believe this was the logical next step. That request, as has been the case with all previous suggestions, was denied. We obviously have an interest in the condition and longevity of the stadium, as we have invested over $200 million, while our owners have never received any money from the franchise.
We are proud of the appearance of Chase Field today, which is the result of our organizational investment and our own day-to-day maintenance requirements that total approximately $15 million annually. The fear and concern we have is not based on its current appearance, it is focused on its future now that our supposed partner has made it crystal clear that it cannot, and will not, ensure the stadium will remain a suitable facility. In addition to those basic requirements that the County has identified through the $187 million assessment, there will also be future financial needs to keep our stadium state-of-the-art.
The County has accurately described the principal purpose of their relationship with the Diamondbacks in each of its Annual Reports for the past decade as being for the County to provide a "state-of-the-art facility to accommodate future world-class, national and international sports or championship events." That the County has no plan on how to fund that objective and yet refuses to allow the Diamondbacks to even explore other options is obviously of great concern.
We look forward to the season ahead and again having the focus placed on this exciting team. Please know that whatever comes of this, and whatever actions are taken, it is with the best interest of you, our fans, in mind at all times and will likely have no impact for several years. We have made it clear that we want to stay in downtown Phoenix if possible, and we will continue to do all we can to find the most feasible solution for all parties and fans involved.
Here's to a terrific 2016 regular season, and thank you for your continued support of this great franchise.
Sincerely,
Derrick M. Hall
President & CEO
|
|
|
