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| JetBlue Park - March 2016 Photo by Thomas Gearhart |
JetBlue Park, spring training home to
the Boston Red Sox, opened in 2012 after the Red Sox began searching for a new
spring training home in 2008. The team’s then longtime home, City of Palms Park,
was outdated and posed several logistical challenges for the team.
Faced with the threat of losing its
team, Lee County agreed to build new training facilities and a new stadium. To
finance its construction, Lee County sold $81.2M of federally subsidized bonds
in backed by a countywide “bed tax” in 2010.
From early February through the end
of March, the facility is occupied for spring training, but what about the
other ten months of the year? Katie Haas, Boston Red Sox Vice President of
Florida Business Operations, explained that Lee County has done an exceptional
job of ensuring the facility remains in use year-round. Roy Hobbs amateur
baseball, Perfect Game USA, and the Florida High School Baseball State
Championships are just a few of the many tenants that utilize the facility. For
example, in 2013 more than 225 teams and 3,800 players played 700+ games at
JetBlue Park in Roy Hobbs leagues.
In addition to sporting events,
the park hosts concerts, RV shows, fairs, farmer’s markets, and charity events
throughout the year. The combination of these events help to generate an equal number
of hotel-nights as spring training. These stays contribute to the bed tax and to economy year-round; making JetBlue Park a wise, self-sustaining investment by Lee County.
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