Chase Field renovation funding bill passed by Arizona Senate
AZ Senate passes D-backs stadium bill
A bill to help fund Chase Field renovations is moving on in the Arizona Legislature. House Bill 2704 was passed in the state Senate by a 19-11 vote. It now moves onto the state Senate.
PHOENIX - A bill to help fund Chase Field renovations is moving on in the Arizona Legislature.
On Thursday night, House Bill 2704 was passed in the state Senate by a 19-11 vote.
Derrick Hall, Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO, reacted to the passing of the bill.
"This is obviously another major step after receiving approval of HB2704 in the Senate," he said. "This has been a long, yet collaborative and productive process, and I’d say signs are pointing towards a positive solution. I’d like to thank all supportive lawmakers, as well as fans, community members, corporate partners, and small business owners who had their voices heard."
The backstory:
Officials with the Arizona Diamondbacks have said the stadium desperately needs repairs and renovations.
"The stadium is in dire need of improvement and repair. We need a new scoreboard, the roof needs fixing, then there are the critical repairs nobody sees: the plumbing, the pipes and the other infrastructure fixes," former D-backs player and senior advisor to the president & CEO, Luis Gonzalez, said. "Obviously, there are other states that want teams and this is our team, our hometown team. We don't want to go anywhere. We want to be here in the state of Arizona. The Diamondbacks are Arizona."
Chase Field: AZ state legislators to vote on renovation funding bill
A bill that aims to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate Arizona Diamondbacks' home in Phoenix has come back to life, after it languished in the State Senate for weeks.
Dig deeper:
According to a state Senate spokesperson, the bill is refreshed from a previous version and contains the following changes:
- A $500 million cap on public funds.
- Requiring the Arizona Diamondbacks to shell out $250 million.
- Fining the team $10 million if they leave Arizona before the year 2035.
General view of action as relief pitcher Ryan Thompson #81 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies during the seventh inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on May 17, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The other side:
Critics say the bill would cost the state and local authorities about $15 million per year in diverted tax revenue.
Sen. Mitzi Epstein, a Chandler Democrat, had the following to say about the bill after voting no on Thursday night.
"House Bill 2704 takes tax dollars away from education, roads and safety and gives it to the stadium for repairs to luxury and luxury upgrades. It benefits baseball billionaires," she said.
What's next:
HB 2704 now moves onto the House. If passed, it would then go to Gov. Katie Hobbs' desk.