The city of Anaheim has reached an agreement for the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team to continue playing at the city-owned Angel Stadium until 2020.
The Anaheim City Council said the 14-month extension gives it time to discuss a potential long-term lease with the Angels.
The decision also cancels out a lease option exercised by the Angels back in October that meant the team would not play in Anaheim after October 2019. The new agreement ensures the Angels will call Angel Stadium home until at least December 2020.
The council is hopeful of agreeing a new long-term deal that benefits residents and works for both the city and the Angels, which have played in Anaheim since 1966.
Mayor Harry Sidhu said: “It is clear to me that the team’s priority is to stay in Anaheim. We need a plan to make that happen, and we need time to make that happen. This will give us time to find a deal that first benefits our residents, with a goal of keeping baseball in Anaheim for another 50 years or more.”
The council added that more details of any potential new lease are expected to emerge within the year.
Last November, the city of Anaheim struck a long-term deal to retain its NHL ice hockey team, the Ducks. The Ducks, which play at the 17,000-seat Honda Center arena, will remain in the city until at least 2048.
The council views the retention of its major league teams as central to building on the vision of the Platinum Triangle, the 820-acre site around Angel Stadium and Honda Center. The Platinum Triangle is set to benefit from more than $1bn (£776m/€879m) in current and planned investment to add urban-style homes, restaurants, shops and entertainment spaces.
“We are looking to work with our partners in the Platinum Triangle to keep realising this vision, with all the economic benefits it will bring to our city and residents,” Sidhu added. “There are only 30 Major League Baseball teams in the nation, and being home to one is a huge asset to any city.”
Image: City of Anaheim
