The Cleveland City Council and Cuyahoga County Council have approved a lease agreement that will keep the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field into the next decade.
The councils also gave the OK for bond financing to pay for future renovations and capital repairs at the downtown ballpark. The venue opened in 1994, initially called Jacobs Field.
The lease at the 35,000-seat stadium was scheduled to expire following the 2023 season. There had been rumblings a year ago that the franchise — established in Cleveland in 1894 — would explore moving to a new city if a suitable agreement wasn’t reached.
Under the new agreement, the Guardians will play at the ballpark through at least 2036, with the potential to extend the lease by 10 years. In a news release, the Guardians said financing for future improvements will come from the county and city ($17 million a year, combined), the state ($2 million a year) and the team ($10 million a year.)
Previous reports pegged total desired renovations at $435 million.
Work and repairs won’t begin before the end of the 2022 season and will continue for several years, the team said. Improvements will be done throughout the stadium, including to seating areas, the clubhouse and front office.
Among the proposed changes will be a “re-imagining the upper deck concourse.” Seating capacity in the upper deck was reduced by more than 8,000 seats before the start of the 2015 season.
“Today heralds a new era of professional baseball in Cleveland, and on behalf of the Dolan family and the Guardians organization, I want to express my deepest appreciation for all of our supporters who helped ensure the continued success of baseball in Cleveland,” said Paul Dolan, the team’s owner, chairman and CEO. “We feel very fortunate to live in a community that is unified in maintaining momentum in Northeast Ohio and building for a better tomorrow.
“We take very seriously the role we can play in maximizing the potential of this great city, and we are confident that this agreement will create a more compelling fan experience and keep this facility modern and relevant for many more years to come.”
The Guardians and stadium generate an average of $323 million in annual spending and bring 1.7 million people to downtown Cleveland each year, according to the team. Progressive Field sits adjacent to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
–Field Level Media