The former home of the Ottawa Lynx just two seasons ago now sits in disrepair, as the city won't maintain the facility without a tenant.
It was once the crown prince of the International League, and still considered by many to be one of the better ballparks on the continent. Today, Ottawa Stadium — formerly Lynx Stadium, home of the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) — sits silently decaying, as the city debates its future.
A future that apparently will not include baseball.
The ballpark maintenance was always performed by its tenants, which included the Lynx for many seasons and the Ottawa Rapids (independent; Can-Am Association) in 2008. Another Can-Am League team was supposed to play there this season, but owner Miles Wolff pulled the plug on the venture — and walked away from a $108,000 rent deposit — after determining that other huge costs associated with the ballpark would more than likely lead to a losing season on the ledger sheet.
With the Can-Am Association out of the picture, the city has debated whether to keep the ballpark or tear it down for development. Without a pro team expressing interest in renting a 10,000-seat ballpark, the discussion has turned to using the ballpark for community events, perhaps using it as a home base for Baseball Canada. But keeping a ballpark open for baseball costs money, and hundreds of thousands of dollars for community baseball apparently isn't in the Ottawa budget. We've added Ottawa Stadium to our list of Endangered Ballparks.
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