Diamondbacks didn’t think Chase Field lease extension would be this difficult

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks secured $500 million in Chase Field renovation funding from HB 2047 last summer. The new Maricopa County Stadium District Board has been set up, passed bylaws, opened a bank account and hired executive director Mark Winkleman since then.

What has not been finalized is a lease extension, something the Diamondbacks were hoping would be done by the start of August in order to get the ball rolling on offseason projects, including a roof replacement.

The Diamondbacks’ lease runs out in 2027, and the delay of getting an extension done could push offseason renovations further down the road.

“We’re in a tough spot, and so is the rest of the board,” D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Thursday. “It’s easy for us sitting here in the building to be frustrated because there’s so many things we want to do and we’re ready to get to. And we know we will. Yet we can’t until we have that lease extension.

“So we probably should have or could have prioritized that as item number one. We didn’t think it’d be as difficult as it has been. I thought the funding would have been the most difficult part.”

Hall told Zach Buchanan of Axios that lease talks have been “non-productive.”

“I think where I say it’s been nonproductive is just the amount of time,” Hall said. “I think everybody would agree. We’re here 14 months after the passing of the legislation and we still don’t have the lease extension. But it can happen quickly. And hopefully now we have a pathway. So I’m still very confident that we’ll get there. But I’ll be frustrated until this place isn’t totally fixed.”

The stadium board will hold an executive session and a formal session on Friday.

The agenda for the executive session lists: discussion related to lease between Stadium District and AZPB Limited Partnership (Diamondbacks).

The Diamondbacks have not been involved in initial lease talks happening in closed-door executive sessions, waiting to review drafts and negotiate.

According to a presentation from real estate company and Diamondbacks partner JLL, the team recently spent $20 million on upgrades from the roof wire rope replacements, the new video and ribbon boards, pipe repairs after the players’ parking lot was flooded last offseason and concrete repairs.

JLL estimated it would cost $80 million for anticipated 2026-27 renovations, such as the new roof, concrete, technology, plumbing and “limited” fan experience upgrades.

“We’ve had some hard deadlines to get supplies that we need for the roof, for example,” Hall said last month. “And we may be losing time on that, as well as the HVAC.”

The lease negotiations continue to be a developing story, one that could determine just how much progress is made inside Chase Field before fans return for the 2027 season.

The formal meeting will be live on YouTube Friday at 9 a.m. MST.

Related

Wild Card standings: D-backs jockeying for position with Padres, MarlinsDiamondbacks bullpen has finest hour in shutout vs. Phillies: ‘We take pride in what we do’Diamondbacks injury return tracker: Corbin Burnes’ path to the pennant chaseWhy is Ketel Marte not starting for Diamondbacks on Wednesday?Dizzy bats and golf balls: Diamondbacks bond over fantasy football draft order competitionCorbin Carroll has sore back; Diamondbacks’ series loss to Phillies narrows WC race