West Villages Improvement District still needs $20 million state grant to complete the deal

SARASOTA — Some of the final documents needed to bring Atlanta Braves spring training baseball to North Port received Sarasota County's unanimous approval Tuesday afternoon.

The facilities and non-relocation agreements endorsed this week detail the team's use of the stadium, public access to the complex and marry the club to playing in the West Villages district through at least 2048.

Although a few more formal agreements are needed before it is truly official, the vote Tuesday was perhaps the most important to date to finalize the team's move that has been more than two years in the making.

"We’re now the dead center of Major League Baseball," Commissioner Charles Hines said. "Even if you don’t go to those games or don’t like them, it adds another feather to our cap, our community … we’ve got it all; what a great opportunity."

The planned $75 to $80 million complex will include a roughly 8,000-seat stadium, practice facilities and public multi-use fields just south of the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota campus near U.S. 41 and River Road in the massive West Villages commercial and residential district.

The approved facilities agreement lays the groundwork for the West Villages Improvement District to submit the final application to the Florida Sports Foundation for a $20 million state grant needed to complete financing for the deal. The district is a special tax authority established for the 11,000-acre area to oversee major infrastructure there and is led by General Manager Marty Black, the West Villages developer who has spearheaded negotiations with the team.

Black expects to file the final application "within the next two to three weeks." He and county leaders have been in conversations with the foundation since before negotiations with the team were even made public and expect the grant to be approved.

That will complete the financial puzzle for the planned public-private stadium deal that includes the state grant, land and infrastructure paid for by the West Villages, payments from the team, county-approved tourist tax funding and a still undecided funding source from the city of North Port.

"This was obviously a tremendous day for us ... it is the next big and critical piece for the application to the state of Florida for the $20 million from the spring training retention fund," said county Economic Development Director Jeff Maultsby, who has led negotiations with the team and West Villages for the county.

"To have a unanimous vote was certainly a signal that this community, this board certainly, supports the idea as we continue to move forward."

The agreements

The facilities agreement outlines the requirements for and uses of the stadium complex and stipulates for the first time that all funding for the project must be in place by the end of October and construction complete by Jan. 15, 2019.

It already has been approved by team officials and Major League Baseball, Maultsby said.

By and large, the details of the agreement stipulate the series of financial and public access requirements for the project.

The team will retain all revenues generated by its use of the stadium and will be allowed to sell the naming rights of the new stadium.

The team and county also will contribute matching amounts each year to a capital maintenance fund for major repairs to the complex -- $11.3 million total over the next 30 years -- and craft annual marketing plans. Both deals are almost identical to what the county has with the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium.

The Braves also will be required to pay for any cost overruns in the stadium project, an issue that plagued SunTrust Park, the team’s new regular season home in Cobb County, Georgia.

The county and North Port will be permitted to use the stadium for 10 events each year — up to 20 total days — but will be able to request additional days if no other events are scheduled there.

The agreement also outlines that the planned multi-use fields just south of the stadium complex and a large plaza outside the stadium itself will be made available to the public when not in use by the Braves or one of its affiliates.

Commissioner concerns

Commission Chairman Paul Caragiulo and Vice Chairwoman Nancy Detert on Tuesday grilled Maultsby, Black and county staff about the agreements to make clear their skepticism before ultimately voting for them.

Caragiulo echoed concerns raised by North Port that the agreements are not specific enough about public access, cautioning that could come back to haunt the county if an issue arises many years from now.

"I want to say on the record that I’m taking a leap of faith with what you guys have told me," Caragiulo said to Maultsby and County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh. "I’m no attorney, but it seems woefully inadequate. But if what you’re telling me from yesterday, Mr. DeMarsh, is there are protections that allow for community benefit and access, then I’m going to go with that.

"I couldn’t be any more ecstatic for south county and North Port for this opportunity," he continued a moment later. "But I'm taking a leap of faith and I want you guys to know that."

Hines and Commissioner Alan Maio suggested their questions about public access and new road infrastructure to handle the expected traffic had been answered. In addition, officials are hopeful $3 million in state funding for River Road improvements remains in the final budget yet to be approved by Gov. Rick Scott.

Detert pressed officials for more specifics about the mechanics of the financing for the deal and the negotiations. After more detailed explanation of the bonding and county's ultimate ownership of the facility, she supported it.

"This might not be my particular cup of tea, and when it comes to negotiating, we hope our lawyer beat up their lawyers and we’re winners," she said. "But it seems to be a very popular notion down in North Port in particular ... I think this particular stadium will be a particular boon to North Port because it creates a destination in North Port, a reason to go there. There are a few details I think we still need to massage, but I’m voting for it today."

What's next

The West Villages Improvement District is expected to apply for and be awarded a $20 million state spring training grant for the project before the end of June.

Interlocal agreements allowing all of the financial and public access partnerships between the city, county and district must be completed and approved in the coming months, county administrators said.

The North Port City Commission also will review its own agreement with the team and consider how to fund its total $4 to $5 million funding portion over the next 30 years.

An overarching development agreement incorporating all of the other documents will cap off the process, which is expected to earn final MLB approval this fall.

"I believe it’s an amazing project," Commissioner Mike Moran said. "Very glad to be part of it. I think it’s going to be a huge economic stimulus for our county, especially down in North Port."