MINOR LEAGUE TEAM TO REMAIN JETHAWKS EXTEND LEASE THROUGH 2010.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A new lease will keep the Lancaster JetHawks in the Antelope Valley at least through 2010, and changes the baseball team's annual rent from $300,000 to $200,000 or $1 per ticket, whichever is greater.

The lease for the JetHawks, a Class A minor-league team, was extended April 25 from 2006 to 2010, with an option for another extension to 2015.

The new lease reflects the drop in attendance that followed the initial excitement about the team's arrival from Riverside.

When the original lease was negotiated in 1995, there were discussions about altering the rate once attendance leveled off, said Lyle Norton, Lancaster's director of Parks, Recreation and Arts.

``It's a lease that works. We understand where their operation is now,'' Norton said.

JetHawks officials expect attendance to stay at about the level established last year.

``I expect good things for this franchise,'' said Matt Ellis, JetHawks co-owner. ``We have great fans, and the city has been great to us.''

The JetHawks are still responsible for the maintenance of the baseball stadium, at a cost of about $153,000 a year.

The JetHawks, a minor-league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, began play in Lancaster in 1996. That first year, the JetHawks drew 316,390 fans.

Attendance, however, has dropped in each of the ensuing years. Last year's attendance was 218,479.

So far this year, the JetHawks are averaging 2,425 fans per game. Only Rancho Cucamonga, with 3,883 fans per game, and Lake Elsinore, with 3,251, are ahead of Lancaster in attendance in the California League.

Attendance at The Hangar, the city's municipal baseball stadium, typically picks up after the Memorial Day weekend as evening temperatures warm up.

By having the $1-per-ticket clause in the lease, the city can benefit whenever the team succeeds at the box office, Norton said.

The attendance decline following the initial euphoria of getting a team was to be expected, Norton said. The city remains bullish on the team's long-term viability.

``It's a solid franchise with solid owners,'' Norton said.

Lancaster will be back down to one minor-league baseball team this year. The Fall League, composed of Lancaster and three other Southern California teams, is suspending play for this year because of dismal attendance. Lancaster led the league in attendance, averaging 993 fans per game for its 20 home games.

The California League is exploring the feasibility of bringing the league back. The Lancaster Stealth had a $1-per-ticket lease with the city.