The Rockies 22-year lease to play at Coors Field expires on March 30.
No, the Rockies will not be playing at the West High School baseball field, but the team doesn't yet have an agreement beyond this month.
The team is willing to take on 30 years worth of Coors Field maintenance and upgrade costs in exchange for the "West Lot," which is the parking lot that's actually south of the stadium.
The 291 spaces are between Jackson's and the Denver Chophouse, bordered by 19th and 20th Streets and Wazee and Wynkoop Streets.
The Metropolitan Baseball Stadium District own Coors Field and the parking lot the Rockies want to buy.
. . .
The current lease allows the Rockies to extend the agreement by five years, three different times. At a board meeting last March, the Rockies told the District it is not interested in any of the five-year extensions.
. . .
The Rockies commissioned a report in late 2015 to determine the future of Coors Field. The report determined that it would cost about $194 million to provide capital improvements to the stadium over 30 years. More or less, the Rockies need about $7 million a year for 30 years.
Last March, the Rockies proposed buying the parking lot for $5 million a year over 30 years, after which it would own the land outright. The team would then agree to a $2 million a year lease for 30 years. Altogether, the money would cover the costs of capital improvements for 30 years.
Prior to that March 2016 meeting, the Rockies and the District worked together asking developers for proposals for the parking lot in question.
After seven proposals were submitted, five were invited to interview with the District and the Rockies. Afterward, the Rockies let the District know that none of the proposals were acceptable to the team.
Essentially, there are two options:
1. The District could lease the land to a developer, and take the money and pour it back into stadium upgrades, while reaching a long-term lease with the Rockies.
2. Sell the land to the Rockies, which will allow the District to use the money from the sale to pay for upgrades at Coors Field.
The city of Denver has that parking lot zoned for an eight-story building. It's likely the land will be developed into office, housing and retail. No matter what happens, the 291 parking spots are supposed to be build underground, so that no parking would be lost.