Baltimore Orioles Unveil Renovations Planned for Ed Smith Stadium

As part of the $31 million deal to get the Baltimore Orioles to relocate their Spring Training to Sarasota, a commitment was made to renovate Ed Smith Stadium to modernize and expand it. The Orioles signed a 30-year lease for Ed Smith Stadium after spending 14 years in Fort Lauderdale.

This past week, Sarasota County and the Baltimore Orioles publicly presented drawings of the planned renovations. Ed Smith Stadium first opened in 1989 as the spring training home of the Chicago White Sox. Baseball Spring Training has been a Sarasota tradition since 1924 when the New York Giants were the first team to train here in the old Payne Park.

The goal of the renovation is to add more seating, provide more shade and update the general "feel" of the place according to Sarasota architect Gary Hoyt one of the architects working on the renovation.

A new two-story facade will features three arches with an inviting view through the entrance arches of the ball field. Today, when people walk through the entrance, they are looking at a solid wall -- not the most inviting view.

For baseball fans throughout Sarasota and Manatee County who want to be at the first official Baltimore Orioles game in the stadium, the team will open the 2010 Grapefruit League schedule against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 3rd at 1:05 p.m.

For those who enjoy viewing the free team practices, the O's minor league pitchers hold their first workout at the stadium next week on March 2nd. The first minor league full squad workout will take place on March 6th. Minor league games begin March 17th. Full-team workouts begin Feb. 23.

Team practices are open to the public, free of charge. Once baseball games begin, practices are closed and a game ticket is required for admission. Individual tickets for all 16 Spring Training games at Ed Smith Stadium are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at Orioles.com or by calling the O's Spring Training line at (941) 954-4101 to request an order form that may be faxed or mailed back to the stadium. Phone orders are not accepted

The presence of the Baltimore Orioles Spring Training baseball in Sarasota along with the Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training is nearby Bradenton, plus so many other golfing, fishing and boating venues and events provides just one more reason why Sarasota Florida is the very best place to buy your next home or condominium.

Come to Sarasota - Things are Looking Up

And It's Warm and Sunny Here
At the close of 2009, home and condominium sales in the metropolitan Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice area were better than they have been for a long time, up by 86% over November,2008.

There is little doubt that, to some extent, the numbers were bouyed by the Federal first-time buyer tax credit program. But, in the Sarasota market, that influence was minimal. The big factors, I believe, were that prices are down substantially from their highs, interest rates are at historically low levels and, frankly, consumer confidence has begun to pick up, if ever so slightly.

The expansion of the tax credit program through April 30, 2010 including a $6,500 tax credit for people who already own a home will continue the positive direction in Sarasota area home sales. Some local families may be wanting to move up to a bigger home. Ihe snowbirds may be looking at now as the right time to move to our warmer climate, especially those retired or about to retire. Many of them until now have only been able to dream about moving to our fair city because the sky high prices in the past put our homes out of reach,-- but not anymore.

Some snowbirds are already here and more are on the way. And, many of them are coming from places where it has been bitterly cold in recent weeks. They come for the warmth and the sun every winter, but now we have a chance to show off our Florida Sun Coast as not just a winter get-away, but as a great place to live - permanently

The improving consumer confidence, the low mortgage rates, the dramatically lower home prices, and the tax credit program are all reasons for optimism.

If you live up North now, there is just so much to draw you to the Sarasota Florida area including Lakewood Ranch and our Island Keys, Siesta Key, Lido Key and Longboat Key.

Whether you're dream is a waterfront home, a golf course home or an urban living space right in the middle of everything downtown, you'll find it here this winter at dramatically reduced prices -- prices that will likely begin to go back up as the economy improves in 2010.

I invite you to visit my Sarasota Florida website to learn more about the many attractive attributes of Florida's Sun Coast.

If you are interested in pursuing your potential of getting up to a $6,500 tax credit even if you already own a home, I'd be delighted if you would E-Mail Me or call me on my cellphone at 941-266-1799. There has probably never been a better time to buy a home or condominium here in the Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice area.