With a team on the way and season tickets soon to be sold, a groundbreaking for a new Biloxi ballpark to house the relocating Huntsville Stars (Class AA; Southern League) is set for Thursday.
Gov. Phil Bryant is expected to be there.
The new ballpark is expected to open for the 2015 season. The $36-million financing plan for the 6,000-seat ballpark is pretty simple: the city will use $15 million from a state grant stemming from BP monies, and the remaining $21 million will be bonded by Biloxi, paid back by a $2 ticket surcharge. The budget also calls for a 350-space parking garage, which will be leased back to the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino.
Last week it was announced that veteran MiLB operator Ken Young would be buying the Huntsville Stars from Miles Prentice, who will retain a minority share of the team. The Biloxi City Council has a ballpark financing plan in place but had not yet sold bonds, waiting to ensure a team was actually on the way.
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