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 significant rent increase for its baseball and softball fields, which are located on property owned by the Olympia Regional Airport.
The Port of Olympia, which owns the airport, is mandated by FAA policy to charge a fair market rate for aeronautical property, raising the league's annual lease from approximately $9,000 to over $162,000.
The nonprofit league, which has occupied the "temporary" site since 1999 and serves about 1,000 local youth, states this new rate is impossible to absorb.
Both the Port and the league are working to find a collaborative community solution, although the land is designated for future airport development, hinting at a potential relocation for the league within 5-10 years.

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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.