Amarillo is now officially a baseball town, again.

It’s been years in the making.  At first, it seemed a bit pie-in-the-sky.  Years ago local visionaries dreamed of affiliated baseball in a new multi-use facility with accompanying parking garage.  It was no fantasy.  Yesterday the Amarillo City Council first voted in favor of a budget for the stadium, also known as the MPEV.  And second, signed a lease of the facility to Panhandle Baseball Inc.

The lease is very favorable to the city and leased to the new affiliated team for 30 years.  Additionally the city will collect $400,000 annually for the lease.  That’s the highest paid rent for any Team in the Texas league.  Most of all, fans of the new team can be assured the team will stay in Amarillo thanks to a non-relocation agreement signed alongside the lease.

The MPEV budget approved by the council is $44.5 million.  The city stresses construction cost will be paid for by the Hotel Occupancy Tax and not property taxes.

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