With the news this week about Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion, I was asked about state and local incentives that might be on offer. Here is a quick rundown from some of the contenders.
Portland, OR. According to the Portland Diamond Project, a bill signed this summer authorizes up to $800 million to help finance a ballpark in Portland. The Oregonian reports that “The bill would divert income taxes from a team’s players and some employees to pay off bonds over 30 years.” The article notes that the project could also be eligible for local TIF funds.
Salt Lake City, UT. Big League Utah reports that state and local leaders support an expansion to SLC, but “don’t favor the use of tax dollars to finance a stadium.” That said, HB562 passed in 2024, “sets up a framework to build a Utah owned state-of-the-art baseball stadium should Utah secure a Major League Baseball team by 2032” using state sales tax revenue and rental car taxes, among other resources, with an estimated value of $900 million.
Nashville, TN. Music City Baseball recently promoted a statement from state and local leader supporting MLB in Tennessee. However, the conventional wisdom seems to be that the recent state and local contributions for the new Tennessee Titans stadium has dampened enthusiasm for more taxpayer supported investments, at least for the moment.
Charlotte or Raleigh, NC. Our quick scan did not reveal any solid incentive plans. A recent article explained, “there is no clear public push to build and fund a stadium in Raleigh.” Last year Charlotte Magazine ran an article, Will Charlotte Ever Land an MLB Team? Does it even want one?
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