Tom Haudricourt | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

After months of exploring possible new sites for spring training, the Milwaukee Brewers have decided to commit long term to Phoenix's Maryvale Baseball Park by putting up as much as $63 million of their own money to renovate the aging, outdated facility.

The Brewers and City of Phoenix officials presented a proposed agenda Thursday afternoon for approval by that city's council that would commit the team to continue holding spring training in Maryvale for another 25 years. The Brewers have trained at the facility since 1998.

If approved at a city council meeting next Wednesday, it would green light the first significant renovation of a Cactus League facility primarily paid for by a team and be the second-longest lease in that circuit. The Brewers would agree to invest $41 million to $63 million to the project, with Phoenix paying $2 million a year for the next five years, for a total of $10 million.

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Under the proposal, the Brewers would assume operation and maintenance of the facility, but the City of Phoenix would continue to pay current net operating costs of approximately $1.4 million per year.

The Brewers plan to begin construction immediately after spring training concludes in 2018 and substantially complete the renovations before spring training begins in 2019. That is an aggressive schedule, especially considering the Brewers maintain their minor-league office and training facility there year-round, but the team and city officials believe it can be done.

The centerpiece of the project would be a 65,000 square-foot clubhouse and office building that would house the major-league and minor-league clubhouses and training facilities as well as administrative offices. The current clubhouse/office building will be re-purposed, not torn down. The current minor-league building eventually will come down and be converted to parking.

Other improvements will include a wider first-base concourse, new concessions and restrooms, a kids’ play area, a retail and ticketing building, enhanced parking and landscaping as well as expansion of one practice field to meet the playing dimensions of Miller Park. The current seating bowl of the stadium will remain largely unchanged.

The Brewers also would partner with nearby Grand Canyon University to open a “learning lounge” in which local students would have access to free tutoring. The team already has relocated a front office employee to Maryvale to implement and manage team-funded events with schools and the community.

In a statement, Brewers vice president of finance and administration Bob Quinn said:

“The Milwaukee Brewers are committed to Phoenix and the community of Maryvale, and pending Phoenix city council approval, will develop a world-class facility for our year-round Arizona-based operations, including spring training. The project, in which the Brewers will invest between $41-$63 million, will ensure our continued presence in a community that has served as our second home for the past 20 seasons."

The proposal, designated as Ordinance S-44071, placed on the agenda for the Phoenix city council meeting next Wednesday stated:

"Given the age of the stadium and other park infrastructure, and the temporary nature of the existing City agreement with the Brewers, the facilities are in need of renovations. Additionally, given the economic impact of MLB spring training on the City and state, and the community benefits of an updated and well-maintained property that can host community events as well as professional baseball operations, the City and Brewers signed a Letter of Intent dated Oct. 25, 2017, regarding the Park."

The Brewers moved from their training facility in Chandler, Ariz., to Maryvale – a community in west Phoenix – in 1998 with a 15-year lease. The land was donated by local developer John F. Long, and the facility was funded jointly by Maricopa County, the local stadium district and the City of Phoenix.

Before that original lease expired, the club made requests to update the facility to put them on better competitive terms with other teams with newer and better accommodations. Unable to get funding for those desired improvements, the Brewers began courting other Arizona communities about the possibility of building a new training facility.

In the meantime, the Brewers signed a new lease at Maryvale that went year to year, allowing them to get out on short notice if moving elsewhere.

A report surfaced last August that the Brewers talked with officials in the nearby town of Gilbert, Ariz., about building a $75 million facility but talks were shut down over concerns that the economic impact locally would not be sufficient to warrant that spending. The Brewers explored other areas around Phoenix as possible sites without results.

Addressing the Brewers’ spring training search last spring, team principal owner Mark Attanasio said, “We do have to bring these things to a conclusion at some point. Now, with the player development focus we have, we’ve got to have upgraded facilities.”

When the Brewers began training in Maryvale 20 years ago, it was hoped the opening of the facility would spur further development in the community, an economically depressed area of the city that has experienced its share of crime. That never happened to any significant extent, which likely has contributed to lower attendance for exhibition games.

Still, as far as one-team facilities go, the Brewers always thought Maryvale Baseball Park would suffice with certain improvements and updates. Their only desire was not to have a competitive disadvantage with other teams, and they finally decided to make the financial commitment to assure an even training field.

When the Oakland Athletics moved their training facility two years ago from Phoenix Municipal Stadium to HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz., it left the Brewers as the only team training within the city limits. That left the city with a stake in keeping the team at Maryvale but funds weren’t available to pay for renovations without the Brewers assuming the lion’s share.