by Cecil Chapman, American Baseball Perspective
Monday, December 12, 2016

One year after voters approved the construction of the Tacoma Park Project, the entire venture has become an unmitigated disaster for Mayor Jake Fey that threatens to derail his political career. As he prepares to run for reelection in a year that a Tacoma PEBA team was scheduled to begin play, the controversial stadium project is certain to dominate the campaign.

The Tacoma Park Project centers around a PEBA-level baseball stadium under construction in the New Tacoma neighborhood next to the Tacoma Dome, across I-5 from McKinley Park. The stadium has suffered numerous construction delays and no occupant has been identified. The ambitious endeavor threatens to sink Tacoma’s bid to bring professional baseball to the Pacific Northwest.

Work on the city-owned stadium was scheduled to begin immediately after voters approved the project in a special November election last year. Delays in selecting contractors for the initial excavation work pushed the groundbreaking back by two months. On a freezing January afternoon, Mayor Fey, councilman Ryan Mello, and councilman Jake Ratner ceremonially stuck a shovel into the frozen dirt at the project site. That remained the only physical action on the project for another month. A city government administrative snafu delayed payment to the contractors, who refused to start work until their scheduled payment was received.

Later in January, Tacoma resident Malorie Blyth filed a lawsuit against the Board of Elections, alleging that the ballot initiative that authorized the stadium was fraudulent. She sought $2.1 million in damages from the city. Blyth’s lawyer argued that because Blyth was an alcoholic, the “sin tax” that funds the stadium represented “cruel and unusual punishment.” Though the suit was ultimately thrown out for a lack of standing, it dominated early headlines about the project, further driving down public support at a time when work on the stadium was routinely delayed due to freezing temperatures.

But all of this – the funding mix-up, the lawsuit, and the delays – takes a backseat to the fact that, after thirteen months, the city and Fey have been unable to secure a team to play in Tacoma Park. When campaigning for the issue last year, Fey repeatedly assured voters that teams would flock to take advantage of the Pacific Northwest market. “By having a complete, major league-quality stadium already built, we can bring business to this city as early as next year.”

Public speculation initially centered around the Tempe Knights. Owner Chris Van Hauter publicly flirted with moving the team to Los Angeles several years ago, and the team’s poor record and finances could leave them yearning for a fresh start in a new city. Though Fey claims to have had discussions with “several teams” about Tacoma Park, the Tempe Republic confirmed that the Knights had not been in touch with anyone related to the Tacoma project.

The San Antonio Calzones remain an obvious fit for relocation on paper, but firebrand team owner Cledus Snow famously declared that the Calzones will remain in Laredo “until my ghost dies.” The Calzones are one of the most financially hamstrung PEBA organizations and the city has struggled to support the team after their initial run of success in the league’s early years. But Snow has vowed to push forward regardless, taking the Calzones off the table.

Last week, the News Tribune filed a Freedom of Information Act request in an attempt to identify the teams or ownership groups that Fey alleges have been in discussions with the city, adding another layer to the controversy. Many doubt any such teams exist. Any new team, and any subsequent division realignment, must be voted on by current PEBA team owners and approved by the Office of the Commissioner. The deadline for both actions is this winter, ensuring that Tacoma will miss their projected 2017 Opening Day date.

Fey claims a team could still meet the deadline by playing at vacant Cheney Stadium until Tacoma Park is finished, but this would almost certainly be a non-starter with the PEBA. Cheney Stadium seats just 9,600 andwould need extensive renovations after years of neglect. No prospective ownership group is likely to choose this option, as it would ensure almost a full season of miniscule gate receipts.

Public opinion is now firmly set against Fey. Local political pundits have taken to saying “even a baseball could beat Fey” in November. Some of the more angry citizens have threatened to find out. Fey needs a team soon or his ballpark will be completed just as his electoral career ends.