One of the biggest storylines Baltimore fans stayed attuned to for the season was that of the lease for the Orioles to remain playing at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.
It got some media attention in February when acting CEO, John P. Angelos voided what would have been a five-year extension. The fiscal situation made sense from a business standpoint, but it did not make Birdland anymore comfortable. The current lease, without the extension, was set to expire on December 31, 2023.
On the surface, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Angelos put on a united front in Sarasota, Florida, home of the Orioles’ spring training facilities. With both men in attendance, there appeared hope that this was something they wanted to get done.
Rumors would swirl here and there about behind the scenes matters. The Maryland Stadium Authority was upset with how Angelos was handling the negotiations. The failure to sign an extension was holding up $600 million in money for renovations to Camden Yards and M&T Stadium.
Matters only worsened when Louis Angelos filed a lawsuit against his brother John and their mother, Georgia Angelos, claiming they pushed him out to either sell the team and/or move the team. Of course, all this was playing out in the Baltimore news stream, causing unrest and anxiousness amongst the Birdland faithful. Eventually, the lawsuit was dropped, but it did not calm things down.
Still, Angelos and Moore spoke openly about securing and completing a lease to keep the Orioles in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.
During Thursday night’s Orioles’ 2-0 victory and AL East division clincher, it was announced in the third inning that the Baltimore Orioles and the state of Maryland, Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Stadium Authority had reached an agreement on a 30-year lease that will keep the team playing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The Orioles will take over operations and maintenance at Camden Yards as part of the agreement and will be responsible for upgrades and maintenance, while the MSA will have strict oversight and control of any work performed. In return, the state will save $3 million annually while the Orioles will pay no rent as part of the agreement.
“We had three goals in 2019 when we organized the Orioles management team,” Angelos said in a statement. “We set out to remake the club to be a consistently competitive winner on the field and to create a strong business and fiscal foundation to be able to do so at the highest level to sustain that competitiveness — and to completely reinvent and extend the Orioles’ partnership with the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland for the next three decades to ensure that the O’s would be in Baltimore up to and through our 100th anniversary. We have been very fortunate that we have achieved all of these goals.”
Specifics of the agreement are that both parties have signed a memorandum of understanding that details the principles that each party will adhere to, with intent to have a lease extension agreement signed by December 31, 2023, the last day of the current lease.
The agreement, in principle, with the state of Maryland, includes a 99-year ground lease for specific areas around Camden Yards, north of Lee Street. This will include the B&O Warehouse and Camden Station, giving way to redevelopment in those areas. No state money will fund the redevelopment, though the Orioles will receive funds to modernize and upgrade areas of operation.
“I could not be more thrilled to spend decades watching the Orioles win titles in Baltimore,” Moore said. “This deal is not only a good use of state resources but will also drive economic growth in downtown and across the city. Today, we take a big step toward a more vibrant and thriving Baltimore — with good-paying jobs, a diversified economy and opportunity for all. This deal is good for the city and the state, and I’m grateful for the partnership that got us to this day. The Baltimore renaissance is here.”
The Orioles are here to stay in Baltimore for quite some time. It’s fitting that the rebuild of the organization coincides with the regrowth and reimagining of the surrounding area to make Charm City that much more inviting.
“I want to thank John Angelos and the entire Orioles organization for continuing to be a team not only in Baltimore but of Baltimore.” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “I also want to thank Governor Moore, Maryland Stadium Authority Chair Craig Thompson and the entire team at the state for their great work ensuring our Orioles remain in Baltimore.
There is a new energy in Baltimore and it started with a young team on the rise. With The Nest secured, the mantra the Orioles used only seems fitting in the end: Soak It In!
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