The mayor has said she doesn't look at the venue as a business that must turn a profit, but rather a park that provides an amenity to the community. He has suggested selling it would be the simplest solution. In recent months, Petersen has highlighted the annual financial losses the town will incur, even if the ballpark operates as well as expected.
That puts the annual net loss at $1.1 million, a town report shows.Ĭouncilman Victor Petersen, a staunch limited government proponent, has voted against the town spending, including the most recent purchase of artificial turf, on a venue he calls a "money pit." In all, the town estimates it will spend $2.26 million annually and gain $1.15 million in annual revenue from sports leagues and classes, field rentals and tournaments, restaurant and concession contracts and the batting cages.
The council also has approved the equivalent of 22.75 full-time staff positions to maintain and operate the facility. A large chunk of that, $13.5 million, came from a settlement Gilbert received after suing the park's builder, M.A. In all, the town reports it has spent $15.4 million on repairs since opening the facility a decade ago. The council approved spending $2.6 million for repairs in June and another $250,000 this month for artificial turf in the soccer pavilion and in six areas between the ball fields. The venue will allow "especially the youth of Gilbert to go and be inspired by a facility that was built to inspire children, specifically, to help them see themselves bigger than they might feel sometimes," Daniels said.
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