In October 2010, the City Council approved Development and Lease Agreements with Opening Day Partners, LLC (ODP), for the development and operation of the professional minor league baseball stadium in Sugar Land now known as Constellation Field. Subsequently, ODP assigned the Lease to its affiliate, SL Baseball, LLC (SLB), in accordance with the previously approved Lease and Development Agreements, and a change in control for Bob and Marcie Zlotnik with BZMZ Interests to assume ownership of the club was approved by the City Council in October 2014.
Located in the Imperial redevelopment area, the stadium is the result of many years of effort by citizens and by public and private partners to strengthen Sugar Land’s entertainment and family-oriented opportunities, which in turn strengthen Sugar Land’s overall economic sustainability. The initial vision for making Sugar Land a home for minor league baseball was developed by citizens appointed by the City Council to the City’s Visioning Task Force in 2007, which was tasked to consider and recommend a set of entertainment and destination amenities. Following completion of the Task Force’s work, the City Council authorized an election in November 2008 to allow voters to consider funding tools for venues including a minor league ballpark, and voters overwhelmingly approved all three ballot propositions.
The City first pursued the ballpark in 2009 by identifying a preferred site and developing alternate site options, performing a market assessment and feasibility study, determining specific goals for a suitable venue and identifying the best private sector partner. Convention, Sports and Leisure International (CSL) performed the market analysis and feasibility study, which determined a project scope that would be sustainable and forecast an annual benefit to the City of $7.7 million or a return of $169 million to the economy over 30 years.
At the time of construction, the SL4B was identified as the primary source of funding for the stadium project. Accordingly, the construction of the stadium, which has seating capacity for 7,500 and is expandable to 10,000 for concerts, was made possible with a $30 million contribution by the Sugar Land 4B Corporation, which receives a one-quarter cent sales tax that can be used only for economic development purposes, and a $6 million equity contribution from the City's private sector partner. Today, the venue is a year-round community amenity that also offers concerts and community, corporate, private and special events in addition to the approximately 70 home baseball games each year.
In 2017, Constellation Field once again exceeded attendance projections for baseball and special events, which it has done in each season since opening in 2012. Additionally, in 2017, the Zlotniks and Skeeters went above and beyond in opening up Constellation Field to serve as a shelter staging area during Hurricane Harvey.
The purpose of this workshop will be to introduce staff from the Sugar Land Skeeters and to provide an update on the status of Constellation Field and a review of the 2017 season of the Sugar Land Skeeters.