Sarpy ballpark is closer to reality

Sarpy County's ballpark negotiator, Kermit Brashear, has hammered out a tentative deal with the Omaha Royals on a lease and use agreement for a proposed suburban stadium.

Brashear emerged from a 70-minute closed meeting with Sarpy County Board members Tuesday and said an agreement is all but secured.

"We're at 9.95 on a scale of 10," he said.

The parties have been in exclusive negotiations since Dec. 3 on a 25-year agreement to bring the team and a new stadium to Sarpy County after the 2010 season, and the deadline for the negotiations is fast approaching.

Royals President Alan Stein on Tuesday night said he was optimistic about reaching a deal, but he spoke in more cautious tones.

"We're still negotiating," Stein said. "There's been nothing signed."

Stein said he could offer no specifics on the agreement. The public, however, could learn about it next week. Brashear said the lease and use agreement would most likely be on the agenda for next week's board meeting.

Joni Jones, chairwoman of the Sarpy board, said the agreement is "phase one" of the county's effort to attract the Royals.

"There are a lot of other phases to come," Jones said. Negotiations behind closed doors have been taking place with the Royals for months. "There may be a jot or a twittle here and there, but we're very, very close," said Brashear. Board members expect to approve the tentative deal with the ball club by next week November 2005, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce hired Brailsford and
Dunlavey, a consultant specializing in baseball stadiums and the economic impact of stadiums, to
study the potential of a new North Downtown baseball stadium. The purpose of this study was to
objectively evaluate the economic impact
and viability of a new community
baseball stadium to be located in the
North Downtown Study Area, an 80
block area located in the
Cuming/Abbott Drive corridor between
the Riverfront and Creighton
University. Additionally, the study was
to evaluate the expected catalytic effect of the stadium being built in North Downtown and
quantify the economic impact of such development.
All analyses done in this study started with the assumption that necessary resources for
current and future needs at Rosenblatt would be met. Omaha mayoral candidate Hal Daub has his own ideas for a stimulus package to help Omaha, and one key component is the city's longtime AAA baseball team.


Daub said Monday that if he's elected this spring, he hopes to persuade the Omaha Royals to play at the city's new downtown baseball stadium.
The Royals have long contended that Omaha's new 24,000-seat stadium would be a poor fit for the team, which wants a smaller stadium with more family-friendly amenities.

Mayoral candidate Jim Vokal's campaign called Daub's remarks "dishonest,'' since chances are slim that the Royals will end up downtown. Daub's campaign fired back, saying Daub had made no promises and that the criticism was a "vague, negative'' attack.

Monday's exchange stemmed from a morning press conference at which Daub outlined a 10-year plan for boosting the city's economy. Retaining the Royals would be good for Omaha because it would keep visitors and revenues in the city, he said.

Daub's other major opponent, City Councilman Jim Suttle, said he also favors keeping the team in Omaha if that's possible.