The Springfield City Council accepted an anticipated reimbursement from the Missouri government for $4 million in Major League Baseball-mandated improvements to Hammons Field.
The reimbursement, subject to a 3-percent reduction from the Governor’s Reserve, totaled $3,880,000 — $120,000 short of what the City of Springfield originally calculated for its newly-acquired minor league ballpark.
Championed by state Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, the reimbursement was approved by Gov. Mike Parson on June 30. Springfield City Council members unanimously approved the appropriation from the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) on Nov. 6.
Improvements keep Cardinals in Springfield
As a part of the $16 million deal to acquire Hammons Field — and keep the Cardinals in Springfield — the city committed to making $4 million in improvements to the stadium. The money came from from level property tax revenues and unrestricted savings from the city’s General Fund, where the $3.88 million from the state will be deposited.
Facility improvements were a lightning rod under the stadium's previous ownership, nearly resulting in the Cardinals’ forced departure from Springfield for another city to take in the Double-A club.
Following the city’s acquisition and commitment to make needed improvements to the stadium, the Cardinals signed a 15-year lease agreement, keeping the minor league affiliate of MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals in Springfield through at least 2038.
The state’s reimbursement via House Bill 7 was contingent on the city’s $4 million investment into the Springfield Cardinals Capital account to fund MLB-required upgrades.
About $853,000 had been spent on stadium improvements by the end of October 2023, according to the city’s director of public information and civic engagement, Cora Scott. The Springfield Cardinals manage the expenditures.
Though the city paid $4 million into a capital improvement fund for the stadium upgrades, all appropriations from the state’s General Revenue Fund are subject to the 3-percent reduction.
