By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – After not beginning Northwoods League baseball games this summer at Capital Credit Union Park until July with a reduced seating capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the owner of the Green Bay Booyah and the Village of Ashwaubenon have agreed to change to terms for the stadium lease.
The Ashwaubenon village board voted unanimously Tuesday, July 28, to approve the second amendment to the public stadium lease agreement.
Village Attorney Tony Wachewicz said the updated agreement is consistent with the previously negotiated terms and conditions with Big Top Baseball concerning the construction and leasing of Capital Credit Union Park.
Because of the economic impact of the pandemic and various governmental orders, Wachewicz said the Booyah had to make numerous changes and adjustments to business and operations, which affected Big Top Baseball’s ability to make rental payments.
“Additionally, the cancellation of the Green Bay Voyageurs soccer season, the delayed start of the 2020 Northwoods League baseball season, coupled with fan capacity restrictions, have presented immediate and short-term challenges regarding the Booyah’s rent obligations,” he said.
Wachewicz said the latest amendment extends the agreement three years for Big Top Baseball to make rental payments from 2038 to 2041.
Village President Mary Kardoskee said the revised agreement will provide the village the same amount financially by extending it three years, with the amendment also providing the village $1 for every ticket sold.
“We were very conservative on the numbers for the ticket fee,” she said.
The estimated amounts the village expects to receive from the $1 ticket fee, according to the amended agreement, include $5,000 in 2020, $40,000 in 2021, $50,000 in 2022 and then subsequent increases until annual revenue from the fee is projected to level off at $65,000 in 2028.
The amendment also states the village will receive no rent in 2020 and 2021 when it was supposed to receive $260,000 from Big Top Baseball in each of those two years.
A rent payment of $125,000 is called for in 2022 and then increase by 3 percent annually for a final rent payment of more than $219,000 in 2041.
Prior to the second amendment being approved and a $1 ticket fee added, the lease payments called for included $260,000 in each of the first five years starting in 2019, then increasing to $265,000 in years 6-10 and $270,000 in years 11-20.
The multi-purpose stadium was built on land just south of the village hall for baseball, soccer and other community events.
It is being paid for with a combination of lease revenue and a ticket sales fee from Big Top Baseball, which owns and operates the Booyah and three other Northwoods League baseball teams across Wisconsin, and Tax Incremental Financing revenues from other projects in the village.
Big Top Baseball moved the Green Bay Booyah last year to Capital Credit Union Park from Joannes Stadium, where the ball club was known for more than a decade as the Green Bay Bullfrogs, after efforts to build a new facility for the team in the City of Green Bay could not be finalized.
Capital Credit Union Park was built to have a capacity of 3,359 for athletic events, room for 7,000-plus for concerts and community events and features club and suite space for up to 300 guests. The field has an artificial surface.
The stadium also reused the old CTI Concrete building on the site.