by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
The World Series wrapped up a couple of weeks ago and spring training is still three months away, but with a new $34 million baseball park scheduled to be complete by April, baseball is very much on the minds of City officials.
For several months now, the City and the Jacksonville Suns — which are owned by the Bragan family — have been trying to negotiate a lease contract on the new ball park. Considering where the sides were at the beginning of contract talks, they are now within a warning-track shot of an agreement. However, several sticking points still remain and the City is starting to explore alternative options should they be unable to reach an agreement with the Southern League’s Suns.
“We are working on it and we are confident we will get it done,” said Audrey Moran, Mayor John Delaney’s chief of staff. “However, we have always advertised the ballpark as a multi-event facility and we intend to hold concerts and other events there. Our hope is the Suns are in the ballpark and we will have to work around their schedule for those events. If not, we’ll fill it up with other events.”
In a recent letter to Delaney, Suns attorney Steve Labovitz indicated the team is closer to inking a deal, but would like to settle a few details first. Many of those items center around season ticket sales, luxury boxes, concessions, maintenance of the playing field and rent. While the City may be willing to accept the terms related to those items, the conditions Labovitz has proposed concerning the possible sale of the team are not acceptable.
According to Labovitz — who did not return phone calls seeking comment — the team is worth between $9.5 million and $10 million.
“No one has proposed selling the team,” said Mousa, stressing the language of the letter from Labovitz may indicate the City is interested in buying the team, but that isn’t true. “They want the new lease to be assignable. They are saying if they sell the team, the lease goes with it and that’s not going to happen. We [the City] are not in the baseball business. That is not in our plans.
“We’re crafting a lease with the Bragans specifically for the Bragans. They have been good for Jacksonville and they have been willing to help baseball grow in Jacksonville more than anyone else. They can sell the team any time they want, but the issue is: does the new owner get the same lease? No. We believe we are giving the Bragans the brother-in-law deal.”
Mousa also said provisions are being made should lease talks completely fall apart.
“In the unlikely event we don’t come to an agreement, we’ll have other events in the ball park like concerts and softball tournaments,” said Mousa. “The ballpark will not be empty.”
Suns officials were unavailable for comment, but there has been speculation the team many try to play the 2003 season at either Jacksonville University or the University of North Florida. Of the two colleges, JU is more receptive to the idea and a more feasible site.
“We have not been contacted by the Suns and this may be a negotiating ploy with the City,” said JU Athletic Director Hugh Durham. “But we would certainly entertain the idea. There are definitely some exciting possibilities. The facility just sits there and we only use it through May. We would have to see how early they get started, but there are so many positive things that could come from it. Fans could come out to our beautiful campus and it would be exposed to youngsters who might not otherwise ever visit.”
UNF baseball coach Dusty Rhodes said he spoke with Suns owner and general manager Peter Bragan Jr. about a month ago about the Suns playing home games at the Southside campus.
“He said, ‘What would it take?’ I told him our visitor’s locker rooms aren’t big enough and we only seat about 1,000 but we can have about 1,250,” said Rhodes. “Parking, with all the construction, is an unbelievable problem. There are a lot of things going on out here that would make it tough to do.
“I hope it works out and they play in the new stadium. Something could happen here, but they would have to work it out with the University. They have the final say on the facility. I would not count out anything. I would not count on anything, either.”
Mousa said the City has not set a deadline for reaching an agreement with the Suns.