The couple argues that the Giants’ lease is against the terms of the charter as the facility will be a private training complex rather than a stadium.
The men, who have no legal representation, admitted that the training facility is nearing completion and that little can be done to stop construction. Deal said the lawsuit will at least raise community awareness and deter cities from disregarding public opinion in future development decisions.
“When does it end? You can’t just keep picking in public areas,” Norgaard-Larsen told the republic.
Papago Park is a 6 square kilometer park between Tempe and Phoenix. Tempe residents voted in 2018 to designate the Tempe part of the park as a nature reserve. The remaining 4.86 kilometers of land owned by Phoenix is designated as a desert park and is not subject to the same protections, making it easier for developers to build on.
Phoenix leased nearly 0.15 square kilometers of the less protected land to Scottsdale in 2018, and Scottsdale subsequently leased the land to the MLB team for 25 years with the option to sublet the land for an additional 10 years.
The Giants have been running spring training at Scottsdale Stadium since 1986, but began renovating the Papago Sports Complex in early 2019.
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