SB Nation DC - Nationals Begin Negotiations To Move Spring Training To Fort Myershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2012-04-26T15:41:32-04:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26516532012-04-26T15:41:32-04:002012-04-26T15:41:32-04:00Nationals Begin Negotiations To Make Spring Training Move To Fort Myers
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<p>According to the <a href="http://m.news-press.com/topnews/article?a=2012120426002&f=1968">Fort Myers News-Press</a>, city and Lee County officials have begun negotiations with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> that could result in the club setting up its spring training base at City of Palms Park. </p>
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<p>"There's honest negotiations going on at this time and I high have hopes that we might be able to pull something off," [Lee County Commissioner Frank] Mann said.</p>
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<p>Since moving to Washington in 2005, the Nationals have played their home spring training games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. However, the club has been looking to move to a different site, largely due to Viera's lack of proximity to other clubs. </p>
<p>If a deal is done, the Nationals could move to Fort Myers as early as 2014. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> had used City of Palms Park through 2011. They moved into Jet Blue Park for the 2012 spring training schedule. </p>
<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For updates to the story for the search for a new spring home for the Nationals, stay subscribed to this StoryStream. For more news, analysis, and discussion of the <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #093369; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/mlb/teams/washington-nationals" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Nationals</a>, visit SB Nation's Nationals site, </i><a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #093369; font-weight: bold; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">.</span></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/4/26/2977777/nationals-spring-training-viera-fort-myers-city-of-palms-parkSamuel Chamberlain2012-03-20T15:28:05-04:002012-03-20T15:28:05-04:00Lee County Votes To Pursue Nationals Spring Training Move To Fort Myers, According To Report
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<p>The meeting of the Lee County Board of Commissioners <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/3/20/2887626/washington-nationals-lee-county-spring-training-negotiations/in/2651653">that we noted would take place</a> earlier today has, indeed, taken place, and <a href="http://www.masnsports.com/nationals_buzz/2012/03/lee-county-votes-to-pursue-nationals-for-spring-training.html">according to MASNSports.com's Pete Kerzel</a>, has ended in a unanimous vote to pursue negotiations to move the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> to Fort Myers.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that both parties seem to be behind the idea of a move, it is far from a done deal. Kerzel lays out the future timetable as follows.</p>
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<p>Representatives of Lee County will travel to Washington, D.C., in April or May to meet with the Nationals, who have trained at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., since the team relocated from Montreal prior to the 2005 season.</p>
<p>Lee County will spend the next 90 days determining the Nationals' needs in a spring training facility and whether they can meet them. Among the upgrades the Nationals are reportedly seeking are expanded player development facilities, improvements in equipment and upgrades at City of Palms Park, which opened in 1993.</p>
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<p>However, despite the obstacles that remain in the way, the vote by the Board of Commissioners seems to represent another hurdle cleared in Nationals' quest to get out of Viera.</p>
<p><i style="outline-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'Liberation Sans',FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">For updates to the story for the search for a new spring home for the Nationals, stay subscribed to this StoryStream. For more news, analysis, and discussion of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/washington-nationals">Washington Nationals</a>, visit SB Nation's Nationals site, </i><a style="outline-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff; color: #093369; font-weight: bold; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'Liberation Sans',FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,'Liberation Sans',FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">.</span></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/3/20/2887925/lee-county-votes-to-pursue-nationals-spring-training-move-to-fortSamuel Chamberlain2012-03-20T13:29:24-04:002012-03-20T13:29:24-04:00Lee County Approves Proposal To Begin Negotiations With Nationals (UPDATED)
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<p>The thought of the Nationals leaving their spring training home in Viera, FL could be starting to gain traction <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/nationals-could-begin-negotiations-to-leave-viera-move-to-fort-myers/2012/03/20/gIQAQ2efPS_blog.html">according to a report by the <i>Washington Post</i>'s Washington Nationals insider Adam Kilgore</a>. Lee County supervisors are in a meeting to decide whether or not to approve beginning negotiations for the Nationals to move into Ft. Myers. The most likely end to this process would be for the Nationals to move into City of Palms Park, formerly the spring training home of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a>.</p>
<p>The biggest reason for this desire to move out of Viera is the amount of travel the Nationals have to do for spring training games. The closest destination on the road for the Nationals is Kissimmee, which would be a trip of an hour and 15 minutes one way. Moving to Fort Myers would put them in the same general area as the Red Sox and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a>.</p>
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<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For updates to the story for the search for a new spring home for the Nationals, stay subscribed to this StoryStream. For more news, analysis, and discussion of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a>, visit SB Nation's Nationals site, </i><a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #093369; font-weight: bold; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">.</span></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/3/20/2887626/washington-nationals-lee-county-spring-training-negotiationsTim Blank2012-02-06T16:12:23-05:002012-02-06T16:12:23-05:00Washington Nationals In Negotiations To Take Over Ft. Myers Spring Training Complex, Report Says
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<p>The Nationals are reportedly in negotiations with local officials to move in to the former Boston Red Sox complex at City of Palms Park.</p> <p>Football season is over now, and it's very sad. But take heart, baseball fans: we're less than two weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> have done their spring training thing at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. since 2003, when they were still in Montreal. Technically, the team sublets the stadium from the Miami <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> as a consequence of the Expos' sale to Major League Baseball by Jeffrey Loria in 2003. Not surprisingly, the Nationals have been looking for a way out ever since.</p>
<p>It looks like that long-awaited day is coming soon. The Nationals have an out on their lease in 2013, and according to a report in the <a href="http://www.news-press.com/article/20120206/SPRINGTRAINING/120206016/Lee-officials-continue-talks-Washington-Nationals"><i>Fort Myers</i> <i>News-Press</i></a><i>, </i>the Nationals are in negotiations with local officials to move in to the former <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> complex at City of Palms Park. The BoSox left City of Palms Park for a new complex, which will open this year.</p>
<p>Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall told the <i>News-Press</i> that the team and the county have been in informal talks for "a few years" and the idea will be formally discussed over the next month.</p>
<p>So any potential move to Ft. Myers is still a long way away, but it will be nice for the club to get out from an inconvenient arrangement and into a different facility. As with most things regarding the Nats, change is good.</p>
<p><i>For more news, analysis, and discussion of the Washington Nationals, visit SB Nation's Nationals site, </i><a href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a>.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/washington-nationals/2012/2/6/2775842/washington-nationals-in-negotiations-to-take-over-ft-myers-springSamuel Chamberlain