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'Now it's real': Lease agreement puts United soccer stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park a step closer to reality
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A lease agreement between New Mexico United and the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 is heading to the City Council for a vote that could ultimately decide the fate of the soccer team鈥檚 planned stadium.
Should the City Council approve the 30-year lease agreement, the privately owned soccer team will pay the city $35,000 the first year, with a 2% rent increase each year, to lease seven acres of the city-owned Balloon Fiesta Park. The lease is scheduled to to be introduced to the council Monday and heard on Oct. 16.
鈥淣ow it鈥檚 real,鈥� Keller said at a news conference. 鈥淎nd, now, it鈥檚 also mostly out of my hands.鈥�
The team, which currently subleases city-owned Isotopes Park from its primary tenant, the Triple-A baseball sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes, will need to initially invest at least $30 million of private funds designing and building the stadium per the lease agreement. Using state, federal and existing funds, Keller said at the news conference, the city will finance the update of utilities and other foundational work for the stadium, as well as improvements for the park as a whole.
鈥淚t also means bathrooms,鈥� Keller said. 鈥淲e might actually have permanent bathrooms at Balloon Fiesta Park.鈥�
A spokesperson for New Mexico United said details about the design, size or cost are yet to be determined. The city is not involved in the stadium design.
If approved, the stadium is set to occupy what is now a parking area east of the launch field. But, Keller said, the city has ensured that no parking spots will be lost 鈥� they just might be moved.
This year, the city has added a 250-spot parking area, and plans to add more parking facilities in the future, Keller said, a move that he said addressed concerns from sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Balloon Fiesta management.
In a statement, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Balloon Fiesta said the Board of Directors met with the city and New Mexico United last month to learn about the impacts of a stadium.
鈥淭hree key areas of concern were raised during that meeting: parking, access to Balloon Fiesta Park and infrastructure improvements,鈥� it read. 鈥淲e continue to receive these assurances and look forward to continuing the conversation to achieve these goals.鈥�
Balloon Fiesta currently leases the park from the Tuesday after Labor Day to the end of October. This year鈥檚 Fiesta runs Oct. 7-15.
Per the New Mexico United lease agreement, the city is also obligated to build certain features that remain open to the public during Balloon Fiesta, including shade areas and the aforementioned public restrooms.
The city will be able to use the stadium 10 days a year for free. Keller said he also pushed for high school soccer tournaments to be held there.
After the 30-year lease expires, there鈥檚 an opportunity for New Mexico United to extend for two 15-year periods. At the end of the lease, New Mexico United is obligated to sell the stadium for $1 to the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口, unless the lease is extended by mutual agreement.
