Lee County Commissioners unanimously voted to enter into negotiations with the Washington Nationals for use of the City of Palms Park in Fort Myers for spring training.
Commissioner Tammy Hall and Ray Judah will be heading to Washington D.C. in either April or May to meet with Nationals’ senior management to discuss what the team wants out of a spring training facility.
Commissioners directed staff to spend the next 90-days determining the feasibility of meeting the Major League Baseball team’s needs.
The commissioners also agreed that the Minnesota Twins are a priority and their requests for improvements at Hammond Stadium takes precedence.
“The Twins are here, they’re the first team Lee County brought in,” Hall said. “I’m committed to making sure they know this is their home and we want for them to stay here for another 30 years.”
Doug Muerer, assistant county manager, said the Nationals are seeking “what any major league team wants in a spring training facility.”
Muerer said the team wants expanded player development, improved training equipment, therapeutic equipment, different seating, among others.
Preliminary discussions from the Twins suggest the team’s improvements are to the tune of $60 million – which may detract from any money being able to be put toward the Nationals’ requests.
“If I were the negotiator at the table, I’d say that (The City of Palms) is a world class facility, there’s a lot of good luck in it,” said Commissioner Brian Bigelow at the meeting. “I heard the Nationals are tough negotiators, that’s the reputation I’ve heard of them, just want to be strong and clear in our position that we don’t have a lot of play field money.”