The Sox are apparently confused by yesterday's vote, but they're willing to head back to the negotiating table with Sarasota:
Fort Myers News-PressQUOTE
The county commission vote came as a surprise to Red Sox chief operating officer Mike Dee. "I haven't spoken to anybody directly," Dee said from Fenway Park Tuesday shortly before the Red Sox played the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. "Only reacting to second-hand information. If that's true, we'd certainly welcome the opportunity. We always thought we should continue."
That comment came only hours after Dee spoke about the apparent end of the negotiations. "We mutually agreed to end negotiations and discussions for now of moving the Red Sox there," Dee said in the morning. "I think at the end of the day the parties determined that talks had not progressed to the point where we could come to an agreement."
The Sarasota city and county governments sent out press releases Tuesday announcing they agreed to end negotiations with the Red Sox about moving their spring training base from City of Palms Park in downtown Fort Myers to a proposed stadium at Payne Park in downtown Sarasota. Then, hours later, came the county commission vote.
"I don't think the press release was sent out in error," Sarasota County commissioner Paul Mercier said. "What happened, it might have been sent out prematurely."
Did the later vote mean Sarasota is still in the game to get the Red Sox?
"I think that's what we're trying to figure out," Mercier said.
The theory was the bad economic climate may have doomed Sarasota's Red Sox quest. "The big thing is the national economy," Sarasota City Manager Robert Bartolotta said. "It cost you a lot more to borrow money now than two months ago. Even if you could borrow. That was the primary wrench in the works."
For now, they've got talks planned tomorrow with Lee County geared toward remaining in/near Fort Myers. (The meeting was originally planned for today, but has been pushed off):
QUOTE
Dee is expected to meet with Lee County attorney David Owen; Jim Lavender, the county's public works director; and [Lee County’s liaison in Red Sox negotiations John] Yarbrough to discuss ballpark options and sites in the county.
The Lee County Tourist Development Council will meet next Tuesday to discuss funding for a new Red Sox facility. County officials have been saying for months any new spring training facility would not use property taxes. Any funds would come from tourist taxes.
The Red Sox, who have trained in Fort Myers since 1993, have a lease with Lee County that runs through 2019. The lease contains an escape clause that would allow the team to leave as soon as the end of spring training 2009 by paying a $1 million fee. That fee then drops $100,000 per year for the life of the lease.
Dee does not want to commit the Red Sox to an amount of time they'll remain. "I wouldn't speculate," Dee said. "I think that will be a part of the process of moving forward."
Several sites near Interstate 75 have been discussed as potential homes for a new Red Sox complex to replace City of Palms Park, the team's spring home since 1993.
[Fort Myers city councilman Randy] Henderson wants to keep the team near downtown Fort Myers. The Red Sox have said they don't like the current set-up with the team's five-field practice facility 2.6 miles east of the stadium. Henderson has talked about acquiring land between the stadium and Cleveland Avenue to build an adjacent complex. "In a perfect world for us, we'd be able to create a vision for them that would meet their needs over the next decade or so," Henderson said.
The Red Sox have let all parties know they'd prefer a facility with all practice fields and stadium at the same location. They'd like the new park, wherever it is located, also feature commercial development such as shops, restaurants and hotels.
Yarbrough hopes to come up with a 30-year deal without an escape clause. He hopes to have a new facility opened by 2012 or 2013.
Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall seeing Orlando/Disney World mentioned before as a prospective site. Regardless, Lee County officials seem divided as to how the developments in Sarasota affect their chances:
QUOTE
Where will the Red Sox eventually play their spring games? Remain at City of Palms Park? Move to a new stadium in Lee County? What about Disney World, which surfaced as a potential site over the summer? What about other cities in Florida or Arizona? "I don't want to include or preclude anyone," Dee said.
Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah believes Tuesday morning's news, assuming it stands, could assure the Red Sox, who have won two World Series in the past four years, might remain here a long time. "The way I interpret it, the Red Sox want to have a long-term partnership with Lee County past 2019," Judah said.
Jeff Mielke, executive director of the Lee County Sports Authority, doesn't believe Tuesday's news guarantees a long-term future. "I think it buys us a little more time to try to come up with something for their long-term spring training needs," Mielke said.
