Savannah Bananas Building Training Facility at Grayson Stadium

Featured photo caption: The training facility will be located behind the left center field’s scoreboard in the space next to the dog park fence. Eric Curl/Sept. 1, 2025

By Eric Curl

Sept. 1, 2025 – Whether you think their presence and version of baseball is a homerun or a strikeout, the now nationally known Savannah Bananas will be calling historic Grayson Stadium their home for at least another five years.

On Aug. 14, 2025, the Savannah City Council approved an amended lease agreement with the team’s owner for continued use of the stadium from Oct. 1 until Sept. 30, 2030.

The amendment was requested by Fans First Entertainment (FFE) to allow for the construction at the company’s expense of a 10,000-square-foot team training and locker room facility behind the left center field wall, behind the video scoreboard, according to city officials. The Bananas’ owner will pay for the building, and the structure would revert to the city upon expiration of the lease, under the deal.

In return for these requests, FFE has agreed to invest at least $250,000 in renovations to the stadium and assume all operating and maintenance expenses – a saving to the city officials amounts to more than $150,000 a year.

Read the city manager ‘s memo concerning First Fans Entertainment lease amendment>

A man walks with his dog from the dog park, which will be next to the planned training facility. Eric Curl/Sept. 1, 2025

Rendering of Savannah Bananas training facility as submitted to the city.

Site Plan for the planned training facility.

Fans First Enetertainment’s headquarters is on Bee Road across from the stadium. Eric Curl/Sept. 1, 2025

The amended lease comes about three years after the team’s owner bought a former furniture store across from the stadium at 2934 Bee Road, as previously reported. Since the October 2022 purchase, Fans First Entertainment has renovated the building for use as its headquarters.

Grayson Stadium is a historic baseball stadium built in 1926 that is part of the historic 75-acre Daffin Park at 1401 Victory Drive.

Savannah Banana’s lease timeline

The original 3-year lease with Fans First Entertainment was approved by the Savannah City Council on July 23, 2015, with the option of two 1-year extensions.

Following the original lease’s expiration, the city issued a request for proposals in March 2019 for continued operation of the stadium. Fans First Entertainment submitted the sole bid and negotiated an agreement that was approved by the Savannah City Council on Sept. 24, 2020. In compliance with state law, the base term of the lease was five years, with the option to extend the agreement for one additional five-year period.

The lease was amended in 2024 following unanimous approval by the city council on Sept. 24, 2024. The amendment included a city investment of up to $3 million in SPLOST funds for stadium improvements such as a new artificial turf field, video-scoreboard and field lighting.

First Fans Entertainment sent notice to the city on April 28, 2025, according to city officials, stating it was exercising its option to renew for one additional five-year period from Oct. 1, 2025, until Sept. 30, 2030.

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