Major West Coast city officially launches $1.8bn MLB expansion plan with new 40,000-seat ballpark
Big changes could be coming to American’s past time.
On Thursday, the city of Sacramento formally announced on its pursuit to secure an MLB expansion team.
Currently, the Las Vegas-bound A’s are playing their home games in Sacramento, California, with their $2bn stadium ahead of schedule.
As part of the expansion proposal, a projected 35,000 to 40,000-seat ballpark would be built on the West Sacramento site of Sutter Health Park, home of the Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants).
Sacramento real estate developer Mark Friedman outlined why the city is the perfect destination for a new team, if the expansion is green lit.
“We’re, I think, the most underserved market in the country if you sort of measure population and sports opportunities,” Friedman told Sports Business Journal.
“Sacramento is a growing community that is really hungry for sports.”
The city only has one other major North American sports franchise – the NBA‘s Sacramento Kings.
A prospective MLB expansion would include a privately financed mixed-use development. The District is 180 acres, and is zoned and entitled for nine million square feet of an entertainment and retail district (1.5 million of which has already been built).
Friedman controls 50 of the 180 acres. The River Cats would then need to move to another location, assuming the bid is accepted.
Friedman also added that $1.8bn has already been raised towards the project, with $1bn of that coming from the city of West Sacramento in the form of tax increment financing.
With the announcement, local investors are seeking to attract a lead anchor investor, but the wheels are certainly turning.
Rob Manfred hints a league expansion is on the horizon
Currently, the MLB is made up of 30 teams across the American and National League.
The league last expanded in 1998 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now the Rays), who are in the process of building their own new ballpark.
Before that, it was 1993 with the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins (now Miami) joining MLB.
In the past, MLB commisioner Rob Manfred has said that he would like to have two potential cities picked before he retires in 2029.
In a special appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week, Manfred gave an encouraging update on how expansion talks within MLB leaders are faring.
“I think that one of the things that we’ve begun to think about is expansion,” Manfred said.
“There’s a lot of markets in the United States and North America, quite frankly, Canada and Mexico, that would like to add Major League Baseball.
“When people want your product, I think it’s kind of incumbent on you to try to figure out a way if you can deliver that product to them.”
“The advantage of expansion is it opens up a whole lot of opportunities in terms of things like geographic realignment, which promotes rivalries, reduces travel.
“We have a tough season. 162 games in 186 days. That’s, you know, tough. And if you cut that travel down, it’s great for the players. So, is expansion is one thing that’s out there.”
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