PHOENIX – The new deal to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks in downtown Phoenix won’t just benefit the baseball team and its fans, according to the franchise’s top executive.

It could serve as an economic catalyst for the area around Chase Field, said Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks.

“There are opportunities all around,” Hall told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Friday. “And when you see these new ballparks today … it’s not just a game. It’s 365 days of activation. It’s retail, it’s restaurants, it’s hotel, it’s office space.”

After months of negotiations, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed bipartisan legislation in June to allocate up to $500 million in public funding for Chase Field renovations over the next 30 years. On Wednesday, she was joined by team and govern

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