Los Angeles Angels extend spring training stay in Tempe, Arizona through 2035

In this March 5, 2019, file photo, fans fill most of the seats at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Los Angeles Angels’ spring stadium ballpark, during the team’s spring training baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

by: Associated Press

Posted: May 28, 2021 / 03:52 PM PDT

Updated: May 28, 2021 / 03:52 PM PDT

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

The Los Angeles Angels will keep their spring training home in Tempe, Arizona, until at least 2035 after reaching a deal for an extensive renovation of Tempe Diablo Stadium.

The city government and the Angels confirmed the agreement Friday. Tempe officials also unveiled plans for more than $50 million in comprehensive upgrades to the city-owned stadium, which is the oldest in the Cactus League.

The first phase of renovations will include a three-story building on the third base side housing a new locker room for the Angels along with suites, team offices and a team store. The projected $20.9 million cost will be nearly split between the city and the team, and both parties hope to open it next spring.

The second phase of renovations will be centered on a new outfield concourse allowing fans to walk all the way around the perimeter of the playing field. This $30 million phase also will include new shade structures, modernized restrooms and traffic improvements outside the ballpark.

Tempe receives a portion of the Angels’ ticket sales at the stadium, along with estimated millions in revenue from visitors. The Angels have played in Tempe each spring since 1993.

“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”

The Angels’ minor league operations also are headquartered in Tempe, and its Arizona League affiliate plays at the stadium. The team will have potential lease extensions of the new deal through 2040 and 2045, the city said.

Diablo Stadium was built in 1968, and it hosted the first spring training for the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970 after the Pilots moved to Wisconsin. The stadium later became the Seattle Mariners’ spring base from 1977-93.

Angel Stadium in Anaheim is the fourth-oldest stadium in the major leagues. Angels owner Arte Moreno reached an agreement in December 2019 to buy the Big A and surrounding area from the city for $235 million with plans for an extensive redevelopment of the area.