City Council approves $52.8 million for ballpark after contentious meeting

A heated ballpark budget argument dominated City Council’s meeting today with some city representatives calling for firings of City staff over incorrect ballpark estimates.

“We are going to deliver the project we promised to the people of El Paso for the price that we promised them,” City Rep. Cortney Niland said.

Cook added that “this adds a whole new meaning to the term ‘ballpark estimates.'”

Ballpark discussion centering on approving $50 million for the project and asking team ownership group to pay for additional amenities desired. Agenda items for today’s meeting originally called for the City to pay for those amenities that could have led the ballpark budget to rise $10 million.

City Council stopped short of approving $57 million for ballpark, voting 5-3 to approve $52.8 million. City representatives Emma Acosta, Eddie Holguin and Carl Robinson voted against it.

Paul Foster told ABC-7 before today’s meeting that he has not been asked at this point to share in costs for additional amenities for the ballpark.

City engineer Alan Shubert said last week that if the money was not approved that engineers would have to go back to the drawing board to redesign the ballpark.

“We could scale it back, we absolutely can build a ballpark for $50 million dollars, but it’s not going to be the ballpark the community wants, in my opinion,” said Shubert.

He said several aspects of the ballpark could be affected like a smaller seat count for the stadium and less suites.

Shubert said the stadium and opening day for the 2014 season also would be affected.

Wilson said it was additions requested by MountainStar Sports Group that was getting the project out of budget – including asking for more box seats and other amenities that were not part of the original design.

Wilson said during today’s City Council meeting that she told MountainStar Sports in March “I will not go back to council and ask for additional money.”

Wilson also said she told the ownership group that the project would have to go out to bid and anything that was out of budget -based on their request- that they’d have to pay for it, or pay the City back if it was built.

Wilson was assured the project will be delivered as promised.