The Arizona Diamondback's long-awaited updates to Chase Field are moving forward. Arizona Historymaker 2025, John Graham, is chairing a new governing board created to oversee taxpayer funds for Chase Field repairs.
The Historical League consensus is "the ball park is in good hands with John Graham as chair."
Arizona Republic
Updated Jan. 7, 2026, 3:30 p.m. MT
- A new governing board has been created to oversee hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds for Chase Field repairs.
- The board was established by a state law that redirects tax revenue to fund stadium upgrades for the next 30 years.
- This new arrangement follows years of conflict between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Maricopa County over the ballpark's future.
The Arizona Diamondback's long-awaited updates to Chase Field edged closer to reality than ever as a new governing board tasked with funneling hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to the embattled ballpark met for the first time.
The meeting marked the start of a new era for the publicly owned facility, which the team has long said is in need of major repairs. To get there, it will need to overcome years of conflict over the ballpark's future.
A new state law enables the board to manage a fund for 30 years supported by a blend of sales and income tax revenue. That is intended to pay for infrastructure repairs and upgrades to Chase Field, which is owned by an entity called the Maricopa County Stadium District and previously was governed by the five county supervisors.
The new board was created through the controversial House Bill 2704, which was signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs in June 2025. The body features a diverse set of nine voting members appointed by various governmental agencies and representing a wide range of interests in the ballpark's future.
It includes a stable of members appointed by lawmakers who supported the legislation. Senate President Warren Petersen picked Andrew Cohn, a self-described "intermediary" in conversations between the Diamondbacks and the county over Chase Field. House Speaker Steve Montenegro chose restaurateur Teddy Myers. Hospitality groups were among the organizations that supported the bill.
But other members were critics or only swapped their opposition stances at the last minute. That includes Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Sen. Mitzi Epstein, who voted against the legislation.
A lone county representative, Assistant County Manager Zach Schira, is also on the new board. His bosses have long had an icy relationship with the team, a history of bad blood that paved the way for a veiled threat from team owner Ken Kendrick, who said at the start of the 2024 season the team "might run out of time" in Phoenix.
By late 2024, talks between both entities over a new lease broke down entirely. That ultimately prompted state lawmakers to step in.
The board also includes President and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks Derrick Hall, who serves as a non-voting member.
The first public meeting took place on Jan. 6. The board established a bi-weekly meeting schedule and set up the lengths of members' terms.
At the meeting, the board voted John Graham to serve as Chairman. Graham is the CEO of real estate developer Sunbelt Holdings and was appointed to the board by Hobbs.
Next, the Stadium District board will be looking to appoint an executive director, address the stadium’s crumbling infrastructure and begin lease negotiations with the Diamondbacks.
Who is paying for Chase Field Stadium repairs?
HB 2704 secured funding for Chase Field improvements by moving millions in tax revenue generated by the stadium that went towards government services, such as road improvements and K-12 education, toward stadium major improvements like air conditioning, roof and foundation repairs.
The law caps the total amount of taxpayer money that can be used for the stadium at $500 million, but it includes an annual adjustment for inflation that could raise the cost to over $1 billion over the three-decade term.
The bill passed with an unusual bipartisan smattering of votes. Some conservatives opposed it, viewing it as a subsidy. Some Democrats supported it in hopes that it could mean work for unionized construction crews.
Supporters of the HB 2704 said the commitment to stadium improvements was the only way to ensure that the Diamondbacks baseball team remained in Phoenix after their lease agreement expires in 2027.
Opponents said the threat of the team moving was a bluff and was only being floated to gain favorable treatment during the stadium improvements negotiations, citing the team’s dedicated fanbase, Phoenix’s large market size and the team’s access to legal sports betting revenue.
Sen. Epstein was an outspoken critic of HB 2704, objecting to the use of taxpayer money to benefit the Diamondbacks’ billionaire owner, Ken Kendrick, amid an uncertain state budget and the potential for federal funding cuts.
After reading a poem about “the billionaire beast” during a late-night debate in the legislature, Epstein voted against the bill but was appointed to the board by former Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, a Tucson Democrat.
“I think that we have an awful lot of plans to make to be sure this remains in the public benefit,” Epstein said after the board meeting. “I want to make sure that the public sees a return for their billion dollars.”
Republic reporter Sasha Hupka contributed to this article.
John Leos covers Maricopa County for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to john.leos@arizonarepublic.com.
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