Adelanto eyes offers on Mavericks stadium

ADELANTO • After housing the Victor Valley’s minor league baseball team for nearly two decades, Stater Bros. Stadium could be converted into a different sort of venue in coming years.

As the town of Apple Valley makes progress toward a new baseball stadium and the Mavericks’ lease expires at Stater Bros. Stadium after the 2010 season, Adelanto officials are eyeing a handful of other offers.

In 2007 the Mavericks owner, Brett Sports and Entertainment, approached Adelanto City Manager Jim Hart and requested that to renew the Mavericks lease the city make $3.5 million in improvements to the stadium, which hadn’t been renovated since it was built nearly 20 years ago.

The city’s response: We’d like to, but we can’t afford it.

One new option would preserve the facility as a baseball stadium. Hart said the Golden Baseball League, an independent league that started five years ago, has approached the city in the hopes of securing a 10-year lease on the stadium. They would take the stadium as-is, not requiring the city to make major upgrades or renovations, Hart said.

But Hart said the city finds two other possible offers to buy the facility more attractive.

Two private individuals have expressed interest in purchasing the stadium from the city, Hart said, and both asked if they would be able to use the stadium for non-baseball purposes. That could include converting the stadium to a concert arena, a Motocross stadium and more, Hart said.

The city, which has lost millions of dollars maintaining the stadium and continues to lose more each year, would prefer to sell the stadium and use the profit to replenish its depleted reserves, Hart said.

This past week the town of Apple Valley approved site control and environmental reviews of land for a proposed new stadium, and town officials are optimistic the Mavericks will move to Apple Valley when it’s built, according to Ken Henderson, Apple Valley town manager for economic development.

“Generally our reaction here has been if the Mavericks can finds someone who can meet their needs and we can keep them in the High Desert, then we are supportive of that effort,” Hart said. “We recognize that they need a nicer home, and we can’t provide it... we’re not offended by it.”

The city is in the process of getting the stadium, just east of Highway 395 near Rancho Road, appraised in hopes of securing the best possible offer for its future use.

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at 951-6232 or at nlindstrom@VVDailyPress.com.

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