Angels closer to UVSC deal

OREM — For the first time since landing in Provo three years ago, the Provo Angels baseball team is edging closer to signing a contract that would legally keep the franchise in Utah County.

The as-yet-unsigned contract, a copy of which was obtained by the Deseret Morning News, details the partnership between the Angels and Utah Valley State College, which will soon break ground on a new 2,500-seat baseball stadium.

At this point, UVSC and the Angels are fine-tuning the conditions on a five-year lease — beginning in 2005 and running through 2009 — with an option for five more years.

"Our legal counsel is reviewing the contract now," said Val Peterson, a UVSC vice president. "We're still working out the details. It's not the final version."

Before the contract is signed, it first must be approved by UVSC's Board of Trustees. Trustees are scheduled to discuss the contract this week. If it's approved, it will then be presented to the Board of Regents, a governor-appointed panel that oversees all state colleges and universities, for final approval in mid-March.

The Angels arrived in Provo in 2001 with the promise that the city would build them a baseball stadium. That agreement, however, was never put in writing and Provo brass failed to raise enough money to fund the stadium project.

In their inaugural season in Provo, the Angels played their games at Brigham Young University's Miller Field with the understanding that it was a temporary situation. The team has played three seasons at Miller Field and will play one final season at BYU while UVSC builds Parkway Crossway Stadium. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the facility are expected to take place near the end of February, Peterson said.

Angels management is upbeat about the prospect of having a permanent home. "We're excited and thrilled. We can't wait," said Linda Gach Ray, co-owner of the Pioneer League franchise. "It's the answer to our prayers."

Had UVSC not offered to provide a home for the Angels, they would have been forced to leave Utah County, Gach Ray said.

"Our No. 1 priority was to stay in this area, because we love it. It's great to have a long-term lease instead of going year to year," Gach Ray said. "It's been nerve-wracking for the last few years."

Gach Ray and business partner Rob Owens are banking on the move from Provo to Orem. They hope the location of the new stadium — sandwiched between UVSC's main campus and one of the busiest I-15 interchanges in the state — will be a magnet for crowds.