If all goes as planned, the Indians will open the 2009 spring training season at a new complex approved yesterday by the Goodyear City Council.
The team's president, Paul Dolan, said yesterday that additional private development around the complex, dubbed "Ballpark Village", will create a destination that Indians fans will be able to enjoy year round.
Goodyear Mayor Jim Cananaugh bills Ballpark Village as a premier sports, entertainment and lifestyle destination in the Southwest.
Goodyear will own the baseball stadium and practice fields. The deal includes a 20-year lease under which the tribe will play 14 games each season through 2029, at a cost of a $100,000 a year.
The accord also dictates how profits will be divided between the team and the city. The Indians currently train in Winter Haven, Florida.