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For 15 years the Texas Rangers called Charlotte County Stadium their spring training home. But the Rangers left after the 2002 season, heading west to Arizona for a newer and bigger ballpark in the city of Surprise. That left the ballpark in Port Charlotte without a Grapefruit League tenant and, because it was a rather pedestrian facility to begin with, it seemed unlikely another Major League team would ever move in.
And that would be partially true, as the stadium as it existed during the Rangers tenure was razed to its concrete base in 2007. But spring training will once again return to Port Charlotte in 2009 after the Tampa Bay Rays decided to relocate there after the team and county agreed to rebuild the stadium and bring it up to modern state-of-the-art standards. The $27.2 million needed to do so will be more than five times the original $5 million construction cost and when the extensive renovations are completed the Rays new spring training home will literally be new itself. The improved stadium, designed by HOK Sport, will have an outfield berm, suites and a total capacity of 6,927, fixed seats accounting for 5,188 of the total with general admission (berm) making up the rest. New administrative offices and clubhouses are also being built. Construction is expected to be completed in January 2009. The cost of the stadium's renovations will be borne by three parties, the biggest chunk ($15 million) coming from the state of Florida. The Rays will contribute $4 million to the project and Charlotte County is responsible for the remainder. The county's share will come from a 1% hotel bed tax increase, which is expected to generate $450,000 per year for the life of the Rays' 20-year lease. As part of the county's contract with the Rays, the team can sell naming rights to the ballpark and will get to keep all of the proceeds when they do so. In the meantime, the completely renovated stadium will sport a slightly modified name as it will be reborn as Charlotte Sports Park.
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