Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo and Rochester Red Wings President Naomi Silver commemorated the official filing of the new lease at Frontier Field.
The lease, announced on February 12th, was unanimously approved by County Legislature the next evening and was signed by Dinolfo on February 28th.
Dinolfo said the Red Wings and Frontier Field aren’t just about baseball, they’re also about families.
"It’s a place where we bring our families to enjoy the game, to enjoy the stadium, to enjoy good food, to enjoy our friends. It’s about our history and it’s about our future. The Red Wings are really the core and the fabric of Monroe County."
She said it’s what keeps Monroe County on the map and keeps people engaged in our community.
The new deal is a 10-year lease, and for the first time is leased directly from the county to Rochester Community Baseball. By eliminating the Local Development Corporation or LDC, Dinolfo says it increases transparency.
"I believe that a county government that serves the people best is the one that has a direct link with the entities that we're doing business with. We've always had a great relationship with the Red Wings, but this is going to make the relationship that much better."
Silver said they realized it was a big issue as fans became vocal through the process, and said the deal was never about politics.
"It was about a genuine interest in doing what was best for this community in the most responsible way."
She also said other members of the Triple A league just approved the lease Wednesday morning.
The Red Wings will hit the field for their season home opener April 6th.