Steel City Baseball Club LLC has closed on a purchase of the lease to Joliet’s Silver Cross Field and other physical assets held by the owners of the Joliet JackHammers (independent; Northern League), clearing the way for a new independent Frontier League team to play there next season. The city will consider a new lease tonight.
Technically, the purchase was not for the JackHammers team or the right to complete in the Northern League or its announced successor, the North American League. Terms of the sale were not released.
The city will now consider a new lease that calls for an annual rent of $150,000 (down from the $200,000 annually the JackHammers were paying — or not paying, depending on your viewpoint) and additional payments should paid attendance go over 150,000. In addition, Steel City Baseball Club LLC will install new artificial turf in the ballpark to allow for high-school football, long a goal of the city and something supported by the Frontier League in its ballparks.
RELATED STORIES: Joliet to enter Frontier League if lease approved; Joliet bid to enter Frontier League under consideration; Joliet city officials to lobby at Frontier League meetings; Joliet throws monkey wrench in league mergers; New for 2011: North American League; Three indy leagues joining forces for 2011?; Seals: Canaries in the coal mine?
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