City of Springfield strikes $16M deal to buy Hammons Field, keep Double-A Cardinals

The home of the Springfield Cardinals is set to change hands.

The city of Springfield announced as a news conference Wednesday a plan to purchase Hammons Field, the downtown ballpark that has housed the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals since 2005.

The city's $12 million purchase agreement, which also includes several nearby parking sites, is pending approval from City Council, which will vote Feb. 6.

If approved, the taxpayer-funded purchase would be paid for with unrestricted savings from the city's general fund and money earmarked for “Economic Vitality” from the Level Property Tax Fund.

The city's plan includes another $4 million in spending on stadium improvements, part of an effort to keep the Cardinals in Springfield through 2038.

The field's future had been uncertain after Hammons' death

The fate of the 8,000-seat facility has been in question since the Revocable Trust of John Q. Hammons filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2016.

In 2020 — seven years after the hotelier Hammons' death — Springfield Cardinals LLC filed a lawsuit in Greene County alleging the John Q. Hammons Trust breached its contract to keep the stadium among the nicest in the Texas League. There were also several parking issues for the stadium, which was under a lease slated to expire in 2025.

More:Springfield Cardinals sue JQH Trust over ballpark renovations, parking prices

As the News-Leader reported in the summer of 2021,

The city is pursuing a new lease agreement with the Cardinals that would extend their stay through at least 2038. As part of that agreement, the city would be committed to provide an additional $4 million in funds to improve stadium conditions to enhance player safety and fan experience to meet a Major League Baseball facility mandate. That agreement, along with the purchase, is pending City Council approval.

The Missouri State baseball program, which played the first game at Hammons Field in 2004, also will continue to play at the stadium.

"Throughout several years of discussions, it became clear that the community would benefit the greatest if the city became the eventual owner of the stadium," Springfield Mayor Ken McClure said.

McClure, one of several community leaders to speak at Wednesday's celebratory announcement, softened with emotion when remembering Hammons.

"This was the house that Hammons built," he said.

More:Without Hammons Field upgrades soon, Springfield faces threat of Cardinals flying away

Whether the ballpark will retain Hammons' name long-term remains to be seen. The city said it doesn't have any immediate plans for changing the name. But it's possible.

"One of the terms of the lease is that (changing the stadium's name) is possible in the future," said Springfield Cardinals general manager Dan Reiter. "The naming rights for the field would turn into capital projects to keep improving the field. If the name does change, we want to make sure the money goes toward improvements."

A big part of the new lease, Reiter said, was for the stadium to have self-sustaining improvements, something he said the previous lease lacked.

Governor Mike Parson said Wednesday he was happy to see the City of Springfield continue to invest in the Cardinals affiliate.

“The proposed investment is not only a win for sports fans but means economic opportunity for businesses and people in southwest Missouri," Parson wrote.

What has to happen before the city can buy Hammons Field

The city, which borrowed the money Hammons used to build the stadium, has held the deed to the facility since its 2002 construction and previously agreed to a 50-year lease with Hammons for the land under the field. After Hammons' death, his trust was ordered to pay off a $6.1 million bond and finalize acquisition of the stadium so it could be sold.

Now that the bond is paid off, the city of Springfield looks to purchase the Hammons Charitable Trust’s rights to obtain the 50-year ground lease and its right to purchase the stadium, along with part of the ground beneath the stadium.

That deal still needs to be formally approved by Springfield City Council. The Planning and Zoning Commission has scheduled a special meeting before Monday night’s council meeting to consider the purchase. Then, council that night will have the first of two hearings on the matter.

Interested residents can speak on the purchase of Hammonds Field during the Feb. 6 meeting by signing up with the City Clerk any time before the bill is called up before the body. Council will hear a presentation on the bill and debate it but will not vote on the purchase until their next meeting on Feb. 21.

The proposed bill on the meeting’s agenda states the $16 million expenditure will also include “initial capital improvements” to the baseball stadium.

News-Leader reporter Andrew Sullender contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: City of Springfield plans to purchase Hammons Field from JQH Trust