Committee hears two St. Paul arena and ballpark funding proposals; public, labor and team leaders testify

Two high‑profile Saint Paul projects drew extended testimony during the committee’s March 20 hearing: an $8,000,000 request tied to CHS Field improvements and a larger renovation proposal for the Xcel Energy Center complex that proponents described as an appropriation‑bond package totaling roughly $394,000,000.

Representative Frank Perez Vega introduced House File 13‑61 to authorize an $8,000,000 appropriation for CHS Field in Lowertown Saint Paul. Tom Whaley, executive vice president of the St. Paul Saints, said Major League Baseball’s 2021 restructuring and subsequent facility standards for affiliated clubs created new requirements “dealing with players’ health, safety, and welfare.” Whaley told the committee the Saints and city have invested in the ballpark and that the Saints have added about $4,000,000 of improvements; he described the remaining needs as visiting‑team locker rooms, training and commissary space, improved weight and…