The Tacoma City Council Tuesday night approved selling $28 million in bonds to pay for renovations at Cheney Stadium that will help keep minor-league baseball in Tacoma through 2041.

�Many of us ... have been waiting for this for a long time,� Mayor Bill Baarsma said of the project.

The nearly 50-year-old ballpark�s first general remodeling is the biggest piece of as much as $51 million in general obligation bond sales to cover a host of pressing capital projects. Other projects include improving the Seaport Museum; covering infrastructure and new library costs for the next building phase at Salishan; buying parking pay stations for downtown; and refurbishing the People�s Pool, the Old Town Dock and Fire Station No. 9.

Approval of the bond measure comes one week after the council agreed to a new lease with the Dallas, Tex.-based owners of the Tacoma Rainiers that would keep the team playing at the city-owned ballpark through the 2041 season.

�We�re just thrilled,� Tacoma Rainiers President Aaron Artman said Tuesday night. �It�s the second step in the process, but arguably the most important step.�

The lease agreement hinged on a $30 million stadium remodel to be done in time for the Triple-A Seattle Mariners affiliate�s home opener in 2011. The lease also obligates the city to upgrade the stadium to include, among other amenities, new seating for 8,000 fans, 16 luxury suites, a kid�s play area, more rest rooms and concession stands and a new club level restaurant.

Much of the project�s debt will be repaid over the next 25 years by new revenues generated by the stadium, said city finance director Bob Biles. The city projects those revenues � including the team�s increased rent payments and additional money collected from new admissions, concessions, parking and facilities taxes and fees � will cover about $14 million of the debt.

The non-profit Cheney Foundation will give $5 million and the city will kick in $2 million from funds paid to it by Pierce County for the County-City Building. That leaves about $9 million of debt payments to be paid over time from the city�s General Fund, Biles said.

Before last night�s approval, former Tacoma Rainiers� employee Glenn Sukys urged council members to ensure citizens aren�t being priced out of games.

�If you�re going to have Joe Six Pack pay for these renovations out of these taxes, he should be able to get to the game and enjoy a hot dog,� he said.

Sukys noted in recent years, premium fan packages have eaten up much of the ballpark�s parking, often leaving unused parking spots off-limits to regular fans attending the games.

Councilman Rick Talbert said he has asked city staff and the team to resolve such parking issues. �We�ll be looking at strategies, including a shuttle bus service, until we can find more parking,� Artman added.