The Columbus City Council approved plans to convert Cooper Stadium, the former home of the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League), to a racing facility despite objections from neighborhood residents.
The vote was unanimous, but there were some conditions applied: sound barriers must be periodically inspected, and races must end at 10 p.m. A city zoning panel still sign off on the plan.
The ballpark has been empty since the Clippers moved to downtown’s Huntington Park, but Arshot Investment Corp. has been working on a $40-million redevelopment proposal that would convert the facility to a working racetrack, complete with an automotive-research and technology center, as well as other potential development. The half-mile track would host some 20 races a year.
RELATED STORIES: Racing proposal at Cooper Stadium draws opposition; Cooper Stadium renovation moves forward; Columbus grapples with future of Cooper Stadium
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