Rainiers fans rejoice: Cheney Stadium, home of Tacoma's Minor League Baseball team, is getting a major cash infusion thanks to a state grant.
The City Council adopted a resolution May 7 accepting a $3 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. The money will help reimburse expenses tied to public-safety improvements and repairs at the stadium — including to the fan-seating area — from last July through the end of June 2027.
Tacoma Rainiers president Aaron Artman told The News Tribune that nearly 400,000 fans are drawn to the venue each year. It's a "great source of pride" for Grit City residents, he said.
"People love the 'Rs' ... It's an affordable option in the sports landscape in this market," Artman said. "Especially when you get to the major-league level, and any other sports, it's not only a long drive and somewhat of a hassle with traffic and parking, but it's also much more expensive. And so we feel like we have a great platform for Tacoma."
The grant will help cover costs to mend leaks and structural concerns in the stadium's seating bowl, Artman said. The visiting-team locker room, which dates to when the stadium was built in 1960, also needed to be redone.
The city joined 10 other communities in asking the state government to allocate $24 million toward various baseball-stadium improvements, according to a 2023 Tacoma joint capital budget request. In addition to generating jobs, events held at 2502 S. Tyler St. in Tacoma work to boost the local economy.
Other recipients of the state's ballpark bonding budget, approved unanimously by the Washington Senate and House in April 2023, include Spokane, Pasco and Everett, according to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.
Adam Cook, director of Tacoma Venues & Events, explained the rationale for the resolution in a memo sent to City Manager Elizabeth Pauli.
"A thriving entertainment and cultural sector is critical to enhancing livability of the City of Tacoma and is a strong tool for encouraging families to relocate to the city," the April 15 memo read. "Conversely, a major venue that has become non-functional and derelict due to lack of capital investment creates an area of blight within the community that is not welcoming to new residents or out of town visitors."
Hundreds of events are hosted at Cheney Stadium on an annual basis, according to the joint capital budget request. Local youth sports groups, businesses and nonprofits use the venue when the Rainiers aren't playing. Some 75 pro-baseball games are held there each year.
The resolution notes that the city of Tacoma is on the hook for infrastructure upgrades and other capital improvements mandated by Major League Baseball. Not complying with set standards would mean the Rainiers could lose their league eligibility.
Fixing up stadiums can be costly for cities and counties, Artman said. It's also necessary: "If we don't get our facilities compliant, Major League Baseball has the right to take the franchise and relocate it, as well as in the meantime subject us to fairly significant fines."
Most of the work on Cheney's seating-bowl area has been completed, aside from certain cosmetic elements and railing systems, Artman said.
The Rainiers put on a good show for folks across the financial spectrum, he added. For the May 14 game against the Salt Lake Bees, for instance, tickets on SeatGeek range from $9 to $85 each.
"There's ticket prices that vary from businesses who want to spend the high end to families who want to come out affordably," Artman said. "We think we put on a good show and provide a great value, and really feel good about us being a beacon of aspiration for Tacoma. And that's kind of what we set out to do."
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