Cubs owners scout potential sites for new spring training facility

City officials, private landowners, developers and members of the Cactus League gave the new owners of the Chicago Cubs a bird’s-eye view and walking tours of potential sites for a new spring training and entertainment complex that Mesa Mayor Scott Smith refers to as “Wrigleyville West.” Smith spoke with a room full of reporters Wednesday afternoon after the helicopter and on-site tours of six potential properties wound up. Smith and others showed members of the Ricketts family, the new owners of the Chicago Cubs, what the city of Mesa has to offer. While officials from Naples, Fla., are trying to woo the team away from the East Valley city, Smith said Mesa and the Cactus League are showing the team owners the possibilities for the future. As part of the tour, leaders viewed Camelback Ranch, where the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers conduct spring training. That facility opened in March. “We want to bowl them over with what we have to offer,” Smith said. He spoke of the benefits of spring training to both the Cubs and the city of Mesa, as well as each organization’s unique needs. The Cubs lead the Cactus League in attendance, and it’s not unreasonable for the team to have a facility “commensurate” with that fact, he said.

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