GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) City officials here signed a memorandum of understanding March 9 with a development company to build a new spring training facility for the Cleveland Indians.
The complex will include a 10,000-seat ballpark, which is expected to cost $75 million and be completed by Feb. 1, 2009.
The Indians have said they plan to use the Goodyear complex as a year-round facility for rehabilitation, teaching and training.
Cleveland trained in Tucson from 1947 to 1992 before relocating to Winter Haven, Fla. The Indians announced last September that it would be moving its spring training home to the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear.
Officials said the memorandum of understanding with Goodyear Baseball LLC was the final major agreement to bring the Indians back to the Cactus League.
Goodyear Baseball LLC, an entity jointly owned by Goodyear-based development company Rose Properties Southwest and San Diego-based JMI Sports LLC, will manage the design, development and construction of the planned ballpark and spring training complex.
The complex will anchor a larger, 240-acre (97 ha) private development that is expected to include office space, retail shops, restaurants, loft-style housing, a hotel and a conference center.
