Finally: Maricopa County takes care of needed Chases Field repairs

Finally, the cat is out of the bag. Maricopa County has freed $3.75 million for the much-needed repairs of Chase Field.

 The Maricopa County Stadium District has approved a $3.75 million contract for additional improvements to Chase Field. The contract was approved Wednesday and will contain steel and concrete repair work which is expected to start during the upcoming offseason.

According to the Maricopa County Stadium District, no taxpayer money is involved in this amount. The Stadium District also claims having invested $46 million in repairs and upgrades to the stadium so far.

For more than a year, the D-Backs and Maricopa County have been arguing about the responsibility of the upgrades. According to the Diamondbacks, the county is responsible for $187 million of upgrades but county officials claim those repairs are cosmetic and thus the responsibility of the ballclub itself.

According to the county, the Diamondbacks want taxpayer money spent on “nice to haves”. A 2013 facility assessment found Chase Field in “excellent condition.” But earlier this season, the airconditioning system broke down resulting in a “flooding” of the ballpark.

In June, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred threatened with a possible move of the Diamondbacks if the needed upgrades were not carried out by Maricopa County.

Of course we all know Chase Field like the photo on the left shows us, but that is only the facade. The interior shows water damage and concrete not in the best condition as you can see on the photos above.

It is unlikely the Diamondbacks will be satisfied with the upcoming repairs of the ballpark as the team is holding the county responsible for $187 million of upgrades that still need to be done. But with the afore mentioned attitude of the county, don’t be surprised if the Diamondbacks will file for another lawsuit.