ScottsdaleAZ.Gov

Scottsdale welcomes SRPMIC announcement on spring training

  July 16, 2009

  Scottsdale welcomes Salt River Community’s
  announcement on spring training deal

Scottsdale offered its congratulations and cooperation to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community today after the community announced an agreement to build a new spring training facility for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Salt River Community, for the East Valley and for the Cactus League,” said Mayor W. J. “Jim” Lane. “Scottsdale supported the community’s bid to bring the teams here, and we’ve offered our cooperation and continued support.”

The community announced a memorandum of understanding to build an 11,000-seat stadium and 12 practice fields on a 140-acre site near the intersection of the Loop 101 Freeway and Indian Bend Road. It is slated to open for the 2011 spring training season.

Mayor Lane said the addition of two teams in the Valley would strengthen the Cactus League and bolster the economic benefits of spring training in the East Valley. The Diamondbacks and Rockies currently train in Tucson.

“Scottsdale has a long history of spring training, and we understand its importance to our community and our economy,” said Mayor Lane. “We have enjoyed an excellent relationship with the San Francisco Giants for more than a quarter century, and we’re looking forward to an even stronger relationship in the future.”

Scottsdale Stadium has hosted spring training games since 1956. The Giants have played there since 1982 and have an agreement to stay at Scottsdale’s training facilities until 2025.

Scottsdale estimates the economic impact from visitors who attended Giants spring training games -- staying, shopping and dining in the city during the 2009 season -- was more than $21.6 million.