A proposed Fredericksburg (Va.) ballpark for the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) will be debated tonight at a City Council meeting, with advocates and foes getting a chance to express their views.
The plan calls for the city to finance a new ballpark, with bonds to be paid back with rent from the Suns and a dedicated real-estate tax in the area. Under a current plan, the city would issue $33 million in bonds. In addition, the Suns would pony up $3 million up front to acquire the land near Celebrate Virginia.
That the team is already committed to Fredericksburg is crystal-clear — Suns owner Bruce Quinn, through his Florida-based Q3 Capital Services, has put up a website that’s already calling for a new team name and mascot and lays out arguments for public financing of a new ballpark. A rally will be held tonight before the City Council meeting, with Quinn and his brother-in-law, former MLB pitcher Jeff Nelson, scheduled to appear.
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