Diamondbacks Venom: Bad for Taxpayers
In 1998, Arizona rolled out the red carpet for the Diamondbacks. The team’s debut season came with a brand-new stadium, Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field), built with a whopping $238 million in public funds from Maricopa County taxpayers. There was no public vote. There was no true accountability. And there were plenty of big promises: jobs, economic growth, urban revitalization.
Now, nearly three decades later, we’re still waiting on those promises. Unbelievably, the Diamondbacks are back asking for even more. Along with American Economic Liberties Project, Sports Fans Coalition sent a letter to AZ lawmakers highlighting the faults with this deal and urging them to reject the proposal.
A New Stadium Deal That Looks a Lot Like the Old One—But Worse
The latest proposal from Arizona Baseball, Inc. asks local, county, and state governments to approve a 30-year subsidy deal that could funnel up to $951 million in public money into Chase Field renovations. This would make it one of the most expensive stadium renovation deals in American history.
Where does all that money come from? A grab bag of public revenue streams: state sales taxes (Transaction Privilege Tax), individual income taxes (even from out-of-state players), city TPTs, and Maricopa County funds currently intended for roads. The proposal also includes automatic 3% annual escalators, inflating the public commitment over time.
And here's the kicker: despite all this, the Diamondbacks won’t pay property tax, rent, or commit in writing to any substantial private investment in the stadium.
The Maintenance Mirage
You might hear team executives frame this as simply a “maintenance issue.” But let’s be clear—this is not about clogged toilets or faulty HVAC systems. In fact, under a 2018 agreement with Maricopa County, the Diamondbacks are already legally required to contribute $2 million annually to a Stadium Repair Fund.
So, how much did they actually spend in the first year after that deal? $150,000.
That’s not a typo. The team had previously told the county it would need $8–9 million in upgrades—then, when handed the reins, they shelled out less than 2% of that estimate. As of April 2024, they've spent just $10.7 million total from that maintenance fund. Now they want nearly a billion public dollars to cover repairs they failed to make.
Economic Development? More Like Economic Déjà Vu
Stadiums are often pitched as “economic engines,” but this myth has been debunked again and again. Chase Field has been around for 27 years—if it were a catalyst for revitalization, we’d have seen the results by now. Instead, economists have long concluded that stadiums offer little to no benefit to local economies and often displace existing businesses rather than create new ones.
The real winners in stadium deals aren’t residents or small business owners—they’re billionaire team owners and real estate developers. The public gets splashy renderings and promises of job creation. What they too often end up with is debt, deferred maintenance, and a hollowed-out local economy.
We’ve seen it across the country:
St. Louis, MO is still paying off the Rams' stadium—even though the team left for L.A.
Glendale, AZ built an arena for the Coyotes, who then failed to pay their bills and left.
Cobb County, GA loses $15 million a year on the Braves’ stadium and has to use general funds to cover the debt.
We’ve Been Here Before. It’s Time to Say No.
This deal isn’t about fixing a stadium. It’s about extracting public money under pressure of relocation threats. With the Diamondbacks’ lease expiring in 2027, the warning signs are flashing. History tells us exactly where this road leads.
Arizona taxpayers already paid to build this stadium once. Taxpayers should not be asked to pay again, especially under vague promises and a lopsided financial structure that puts all the risk on the public and all the profit in private hands.
We’re calling on Arizona’s lawmakers to reject this proposal. No more backroom deals. No more economic smoke and mirrors. And no more taxpayer subsidies for billionaire team owners who can and should pay for their own stadium upgrades.