Akron officials are looking at upgrades to Canal Park to keep the Akron Aeros (Class AA; Eastern League) in town after the team’s lease expires in five years.
The upcoming sale of the team apparently has unsettled officials; though the team was not a candidate to move to Ottawa in 2014, there was enough ill-informed gossip floating around town to cause some consternation in City Hall. With the team’s lease expiring in five years, Mayor Don Plusquellic is taking a proactive approach to keeping the Aeros in town:
“It’s a concern of the new owner that the stadium needs improvements,” Plusquellic said during a council meeting.
At 15 years old, Canal Park is new enough where it is a good example of a modern ballpark, yet old enough that new ballpark technology could be applied. It’s a large ballpark — seating 9,907 — and some of seating could be converted to group and play areas. No word yet on what sort of improvements could be done and how much it would cost; we expect incoming owner Ken Babby to address these issues once he takes control of the team.
RELATED STORIES: Babby emerging as Aeros owner
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