In 2008 Sarasota County spent $16.6M to upgrade Ed Smith Stadium. The 8-month project created an estimated 223 temporary jobs in the area with a total compensation of just over $9.7M. After the renovation the county retained ownership of the stadium and the team agreed to a 30-year lease which included operation and maintenance. Sort of.
As Orioles’ Vice President of Spring Training Operations David Rovine explained, the team and the county split the maintenance costs 50/50, but only up to $300,000. Anything above $300,000 would be considered a capital expenditure and would be the responsibility of the county. Rovine also stated that all the grounds keepers and facilities personnel are actually employed by the county not the Orioles organization.
So just how much does the county spend on Ed Smith Stadium each year? It’s tough to know for sure, but a quick search of public records revealed that in 2009 (prior to the renovation) the adopted budget in Sarasota County for parks and recreation, which includes care and maintenance for athletic fields like Ed Smith Stadium, was $19.5M. In 2016, that budget has soared to $196.9M. Certainly that entire cost can’t be attributed entirely to Ed Smith Stadium but it seems just a bit too coincidental. Either way, if Rovine's statement that the Orioles lose money each spring training and their annual operating budget is only $1M, how much is the county losing each year?
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