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Reese makes bid for Knights’ ballpark

Jerry Reese, a constant thorn in the side of the Charlotte Knights front office on their quest for a new ballpark, could become their landlord if he lands the Knights Stadium property.

Jerry Reese, a constant thorn in the side of the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) front office on their quest for a new ballpark, could become their landlord if he lands the Knights Stadium property.

Reese's multiple lawsuits slowed down development of a new Uptown ballpark for the Knights — a slowdown that has put the future of the project in some doubt. 

Meanwhile, York County (S.C.) is seeking a buyer for the Knights Stadium property and 35 surrounding acres. So far there have been a few nibbles on the property, but so far Reese has presented the most ambitious plan: he'd renovate the stadium for MLS soccer (!) while keeping the Knights as tenants. He'd also develop the 35 acres around the ballpark.

Now, let's issue a big warning here: Reese is really good at coming up with big, grand development plan that never quite seem to work out. And with the York County deal he's proceeding without any cost estimates or anything firm on what he'd pay for a ballpark and 35 acres of land. Then again, things are definitely on the preliminary front.

RELATED STORIES: New Knights ballpark: on or off?; Knights ballpark on hold; January key to Knights' future in Charlotte

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