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Missions Scout Five Downtown Ballpark Sites

San Antonio Missions 2015The San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League) have begun compiling a list of potential downtown ballpark sites, with five contenders currently under very early consideration.

Elmore Sports Group committed a move of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) to San Antonio for the 2019 season, with the Texas League franchise shifting to Amarillo. The plan is to have the Triple-A Missions play at Wolff Stadium until a new Triple-A ballpark comes online.

There was a previous effort at a new downtown ballpark, but a lack of city commitment killed that initiative. The Missions are working to identify a ballpark site as well as a developer to present to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, whose support has been lukewarm at best. Complicating things: Nirenberg has been more enthusiastic about city funds spent on a stadium expansion should the city land an MLS expansion franchise. From San Antonio Express-News:

Missions’ President Burl Yarbrough said Elmore Sports was also looking at a fifth location downtown, declining to specify where.

City officials have asked Elmore Sports to come up with a development plan showing the economic impact of a stadium before they consider discussing any public financing, Oliver said. The group is looking for a developer to partner with, he said.

“We haven’t delved into (the sites) a great deal at this point, but those are possibilities that have been brought to our attention,” Yarbrough said. “We really are more the baseball experts … we would be looking for developers who have expertise outside the ballpark in master-planning in a certain area of downtown.”

Yarbrough and Elmore Sports are certainly very early in the process. Stay tuned.

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