EVERETT — The City Council unanimously approved creating a new committee Wednesday to conduct in-depth research and advise city leaders on upgrading or building a new Everett AquaSox stadium.
The other goal of the new fiscal advisory committee — made up of nine unpaid appointees — is to communicate with taxpayers about the process.
At the end of November, the council unanimously authorized the mayor to sign contracts worth $1.1 million with two contractors to further investigate either upgrading or building a new AquaSox baseball stadium, to meet new Major League Baseball standards.
Three options are on the table: upgrade the current Funko Field, demolish and build a new stadium on the current property or construct a new stadium downtown near the Angel of the Winds Arena.
The new or updated stadium was pitched as a 3,500-seat multi-use stadium that could double as an outdoor venue, according to a study the city funded last year.
Everett needs significant upgrades to meet the new MLB standards. The city would be at risk of losing the minor league team if efforts to upgrade the stadium aren’t well underway by 2025.
The project could cost between $40 million and $80 million, according to figures presented by an outside consultant hired to work on the project.
The committee will analyze the pros and cons of each of the three options, as well as identify revenue sources and potential private or public partnerships.
“The intention here is to create a structure that would create meetings where people would find out information, including the council, the community and everyone else who needs to know about what’s happening with this project,” said Council President Brenda Stonecipher, who sponsored the measure approved Wednesday.
Council member Don Schwab emphasized the importance of community involvement in the taxpayer-funded project.
“This is really a community-owned facility, and it should really reflect our community,” he said. “Engagement is so important on this project.”
City project manager Scott Pattison estimated the committee would be formed by March.
Then the members will meet once a month for at least a year, “or when the stadium project and financing plan has been approved by the City Council,” the resolution said.
Of the nine voting members on the committee, four will be appointed by Mayor Cassie Franklin and four more by the City Council.
After those eight members are selected, the committee will appoint one more member.
The committee will then appoint six non-voting members to provide further input.
Non-voting members will include one representative from the state Legislature, County Council, Everett school board and the AquaSox organization, as well as two from the City Council.
Potential committee members will be evaluated on their experience in sectors such as “finance, economics, accounting, public policy, tourism” or other relevant expertise.
The need for an upgraded stadium has been building for years.
In 2021, baseball officials upgraded the Aquasox to a High-A team, lengthening their season by months.
That caused tension as Funko Field is owned by Everett Public Schools and doubles as a venue for school sports. The longer AquaSox season overlapped with high school games.
In fall 2021, scheduling conflicts and the need to meet new MLB standards prompted the council to approve studies on the feasibility of a new stadium.
A new stadium could be ready for the 2027 AquaSox season.
Until then, the team will continue to grapple with scheduling conflicts and face a “six-figure fee” from MLB for each season that new stadium requirements aren’t met, according to AquaSox owner Chad Volpe.
Ashley Nash: 425-339-3037; ashley.nash@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @ash_nash00.
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