In a letter sent to Durham officials, Minor League Baseball questions the quality of renovation work on Durham Athletic Park and leaves open the possibility of scaling back its commitment to the 82-year-old facility.
In a letter sent to Durham officials, Minor League Baseball questions the quality of renovation work on Durham Athletic Park and leaves open the possibility of scaling back its commitment to the 82-year-old facility.
MiLB CEO Pat O’Conner wrote Alan DeLisle, assistant city manager for economic development, that construction delays have "affected the enthusiasm and support" for the project.
There’s no doubt minor-league officials are excited of the possibilities inherent in a renovated Durham Athletic Park, one of the most historic and scenic venues in all of baseball. MiLB has already committed to running groundskeeping and umpire training programs out of Durham Athletic Park; a longer-term project includes the building of a minor-league museum adjacent to the ballpark.
But all of that is at risk because of that O’Conner calls substandard work done on the $5 million renovation project.
Durham officials expect to receive an updated report on the renovation project today.
ADDENDUM: City manager Tom Bonfield says he’s still looking into the situation and hopes to have a response to Minor League Baseball next week. But as Mark Cryan points out, this wouldn’t be the first time Durham has made promises about Durham Athletic Park and then reneged on them. Mark chronicled those issues in his book, Cradle of the Game: Baseball and Ballparks in North Carolina; the more things change, the more they remain the same.
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