By John R. Roby
Madison’s balking at the cost of ownership-backed upgrades to the Rocket City Trash Pandas’ ballpark leaves just one party to pick up the bill when it comes due: the city itself.
At issue is work required to bring Toyota Field into compliance with Major League Baseball facilities standards – work that the city is obligated to undertake by the terms of its venue license agreement with Trash Pandas owner Ballcorps LLC.
For years, the city has grappled with how to fund the improvements and how extensive they should be. Ballcorps has steadfastly backed a plan to build a four-story structure along the left field line, promising financial support for the city and predicting a windfall in tax revenues. Madison would issue bonds for up to $30 million to fund that plan.
Monday, Council President John Seifert said he wanted to take the $30 million option for renovations to Toyota Field “off the table,” despite earlier, verbal support from four councilors, including himself. Seifert said the council no longer had the four votes for the Ballcorp-backed plan – let alone the five needed to override a likely veto by Mayor Paul Finley.
Yet speaking at a council work session last week, Ballcorps lead investor Mark Holland said ownership had no reason to financially support improvements that merely meet the floor of compliance – though at a lower upfront cost to the city.
“Our lease dictates that we’re entitled to a professional, baseball-compliant ballpark,” he said. “It’s not compliant. The city is currently in default on our lease.”
The $46 million stadium held its first game in 2021. As it was being built, Major League Baseball was in the process of revising facility standards for its teams and their minor league affiliates. The Trash Pandas are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.
Ballcorps first approached Madison in January 2023 about the mandated upgrades, the most significant of which was permanent locker room space for female staff and umpires.
Since late 2024, Madison has explored three renovation proposals that ranged in projected cost from $4 million to $30 million. One option would merely renovate an existing maintenance building to reach compliance. A second would involve demolition and construction of a one-story building along left field. The cost of the latter is estimated at up to $7 million, while the cost for former is still being assessed, councilors said this week.
All three options have at least “conceptual” approval from MLB, city officials have said.
Finley has said he would veto the $30 million improvement plan – a move he has not taken before as mayor, and one that would require five council votes to override.
“I’ve always felt like if there’s some way we can figure out how to use what we have let’s do that,” Finley said at the council work session. “It took a long time to get to the point where we have the option to use the maintenance area … and that’s far more attractive to me than the math of a four-story [building] and using our revenues.”
Ballcorps has said it would financially support the $30 million option, which would see a four-story, 33,600 square foot building rise next to the left field foul line, along with expanded parking space – but not the others. That support would annually pay the city the yearly total for the stadium bond payments, less lodging tax revenue it turns over, or $1 million, whichever is more, for 25 years, according to a proposed agreement made public in November.
Moreover, city and Ballcorps officials have said the additional space for fan seating and for special events could generate millions in tax revenue for the city over the life of the bonds.
“If you do the math … the four-story [option] wins out every time,” Holland said. “The maintenance facility [option] could cost zero dollars, and it would still be the wrong choice, financially.”
Madison is now moving forward with bids for the two lower-cost renovation options, city officials said this week.
In either case, work is likely to stretch well into the baseball season. The Trash Pandas’ home opener is April 4, when they host the Chattanooga Lookouts. Design documents for both renovation options are due back from the city’s architect May 9.
