The Fort Myers Miracle (High Class A; Florida State League) may spend the 2014 season at a temporary home, as the planned renovations to Hammond Stadium could make the ballpark unavailable for regular-season use.
The $42.5-million renovation of Hammond Stadium is scheduled to be completed by 2015; Hammond Stadium is the spring-training home of the Minnesota Twins, who negotiated a renovation of the ballpark and the Lee County Sports Complex with Lee County. If the renovations are to be done by spring training 2015, there’s the chance the construction will force the Miracle out of the ballpark while work ensues. Right now this is only raised as a possibility; county officials will have a better idea in March about the exact construction schedule and how it will effect the Miracle.
There are a few options for the Goldklang Group, which owns and operates the Miracle and also works with the Twins on spring-training administration. City of Palms Park, which has sat empty since the Boston Red Sox shifted spring training to JetBlue Park in 2012, has already been offered for use by Fort Myers officials. There would be some issues there: the ballpark was basically stripped of anything baseball-related by the Red Sox and the city, so it would require some sort of investment to bring the facility back to a condition where beer and food can be served. We also expect JetBlue Park to be in the mix as well.
Image of renovated Hammond Stadium courtesy of Lee County.
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