JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jumbo Shrimp are planning to stay in Jacksonville for a long time.
The team and the City of Jacksonville agreed to a 10-year lease extension to keep the Triple-A franchise at 121 Financial Ballpark through March of 2043. The agreement is pending subject to approval by the Jacksonville City Council.
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“We are thrilled to cement this lease extension to keep the Jumbo Shrimp at 121 Financial Ballpark,” Jumbo Shrimp owner/CEO Ken Babby said in a release.
“We want to thank the City of Jacksonville and ASM Global for continuing this wonderful partnership. 121 Financial Ballpark has been a staple of the affordable family fun experience for fans of Crustacean Nation, and we look forward to it continuing to do so for many years in the future.”
The Jumbo Shrimp have been in Jacksonville every year since 1970, playing as an affiliate of eight different Major League Baseball teams. They have been an affiliate of the Miami Marlins since 2009.
The team moved up from the Double-A Southern League to Triple-A this year as the farm system in professional baseball underwent an overhaul.
“The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp bring so much excitement, activity, and family fun to our community and Downtown Jacksonville,” Mayor Lenny Curry said in a release.
“This year, in their first season as a AAA team, that vibrancy will be bigger and more exciting than ever. With this lease agreement, we can look forward to many more years of baseball in Jacksonville. I encourage my colleagues on City Council to support this legislation.”