Olympia Airport Raises Rent on Little Leaguers

Facility, which has rented space to the league for more than 20 years, is facing pressure to charge aviation market rates for property designated for aeronautical use.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, June 16, 2023 at 03:09 PM ET

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Capitol Little League in Tumwater, Washington, has rented land from the Port of Olympia for baseball and softball fields from 1999. [Courtesy: Capitol Little League]

Key Takeaways:

Capitol Little League in Tumwater, WA, faces a drastic rent increase from $9,177 to over $162,000 annually for its baseball fields located on Olympia Regional Airport property.
The Port of Olympia is mandated by FAA regulations to charge a fair market rate for non-aeronautical use of airport land to maintain eligibility for grants and prepare for potential future airport expansion.
This rent hike is financially impossible for the nonprofit league, which has occupied the "temporary" site for 24 years and serves over a thousand children, leading to collaborative efforts between the league, port, and community to find a solution and potential relocation.

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The next time you go to a ballpark to watch a Little League game, think about the fact that someone pays to rent the space—and that rent can go up, especially when the diamonds are located on airport property.

That’s the situation facing Capitol Little League in Tumwater, Washington. Since 1999 its baseball and softball fields have occupied 10.6 acres on the west side of acreage making up the Olympia Regional Airport (KOLM). The land is airport property owned by the Port of Olympia.