Talks to extend the lease of Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium to the Kannapolis Intimidators (Low Class A; Sally League) have collapsed, leading Rowan County officials to recommend letting the lease lapse in 2010.
Talks to extend the lease of Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium to the Kannapolis Intimidators (Low Class A; Sally League) have collapsed, leading Rowan County officials to recommend letting the lease lapse in 2010.
There are a host of issues surrounding the ballpark lease, as Smith Family Baseball — the owners of the Intimidators — have attempted to work out a revised lease giving it more control over the ballpark. Complicating things was a muddled ownership status of the ballpark: Rowan County says it owns 75 percent of the ballpark based on funds contributed over the years, but the official documents show the county and the city of Kannapolis each own 50 percent.
Based on several issues, Commissioner Tina Hall — who has working on a lease revision and extension — is recommended the lease expire. That doesn’t mean the Intimidators are out the door; it means that the team and the county must begin with a clean slate, giving the county time to iron out its issues with the facility.
Still, for the Intimidators ownership, the loss of a lease extension must be disappointing. Smith Family Baseball has stuck with the Kannapolis market through some fairly trying times. Now that the local economy has a bright future thanks to the expansion of businesses in the area, the Intimidators are in position to take advantage of better times — once their lease issues are worked out.
ADDENDUM: We passed along some incomplete information from the Salisbury Post. It’s true the Intimidators’ base lease ends in 2010. However, Smith Family Baseball has a five-year option to renew and must notify Rowan County and Kannapolis by the end of the 2009 season. It sounds like the Intimidators plan on extennding that lease, tying the team to Kannapolis through the 2015 season.