‘That makes MLB the villain in all this’: KIRO hosts push back on Everett’s eminent domain bid for Aqua Sox stadium

Everett is moving toward seizing downtown properties through eminent domain for a proposed Aqua Sox stadium after Major League Baseball declared that the current Funko Field no longer meets its facility standards, The Everett Herald reported Thursday. While the city said it would prefer to reach voluntary deals with the 15 property owners affected, it has only finalized five agreements so far, with three more pending and seven still in negotiations.

KIRO fill-in hosts Angela Poe Russell and Greg Tomlin questioned whether eminent domain was justified for a sports stadium on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. Greg argued the project’s ballooning cost and questionable return on investment made the case hard to defend.

“It’s tough for me to understand the case that the Aqua Sox are trying to make here,” he said. “It’s almost like a sports subsidy at the end of the day. And I failed to see why they couldn’t do this somewhere else, and really, are the returns on investment worth it? And, oh, by the way, the project has already ballooned from about an $80 million to $120 million project, and if the past is prologue, that’s probably only going to increase even more if this project gets underway. So, I generally don’t like the cause of eminent domain in this specific case.”

Angela said she takes a hard line on eminent domain, arguing that seizing private property is only justified when the project serves a genuine public necessity, not just a public benefit, because of how profoundly it can upend property owners’ lives.

“When we say public interest, not just public funds, but something that we actually need,” she said. “I just can’t imagine what that must be like if you’re a property owner. It’s one thing if it’s like, OK, it’s a house, and if I get good money for it, but if it’s a situation where it’s a family home, and we’ve been there for generations, I can’t even imagine.”

Greg compared the situation to the Pixar movie “Up,” where an elderly man refuses to give up his home as developers build around him.

Everett pursuing Aqua Sox stadium amid budget crisis, eliminated positions

KIRO producer Andrew Lanier noted the new stadium build is happening at the same time Everett is facing a budget crisis. The city has eliminated 55 positions within local government, including 31 active employees, cut the entire park ranger program for Everett City Parks, delayed millions of dollars worth of road work, and reduced public library hours. On top of those cuts, Lanier said, the city is putting taxpayers on the hook through bonding to finance the project, all because Major League Baseball told minor league teams they must begin stadium upgrades by 2026 or risk losing their franchises, which is what’s driving Everett toward eminent domain.

“Think about that. You’ve been a long-time Everett business owner. ‘I’ve operated in this downtown core, and now the city’s coming in and says we seize your property.’ The same city that says ‘We have to keep the team for the businesses and for local business opportunity.’ I don’t even want to get into that argument about whether it’s worth it, but it’s BS that they’re doing this,” Andrew said.

“Shame on Major League Baseball,” Angela responded. “If I’m Everett, I’m thinking, ‘Don’t let the door hit you emotionally.’ That’s my visceral response. It’s like hell to the naw. But also, if you’re an elected official, and you’re thinking about the future of the city, it probably does help to have a Minor League Baseball team. It adds to your identity and the culture, and isn’t it part of your job to kind of retain those things that make you special? To me, that makes MLB the villain in all this.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.