The addition of local businessman Ron Rosner to a group privately financing a new Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) ballpark has earned support from skeptics of the project.
Their worry: the Suns would not have the financial wherewithal to go through with the project. The addition of Diamond Nation to the project lent more financial credibility to the project and introduced new revenue streams. With Rosner, a local car dealer who is pledging a purchase of naming rights as part of his investment, there’s the local tie that many in Fredericksburg wanted; at least two councilmembers opposing the project are now on board. From Fredericksburg.com:
[Mayor Mary Katherine] Greenlaw said she likes having a local investor. “I have great respect for Ron Rosner and his organization and they are definitely a business that is committed to our community so it definitely strengthens the proposal.”
Support from former Mayor Lawrence Davies clears up other concerns about the project.
Davies sent a letter to [City Manager Bev] Cameron commending him for the negotiating team’s work and expressing his “full support and endorsement” for the project.
The City Council will consider the project at a meeting today. The proposed $29-million facility would feature a 4,750-seat ballpark with five playing fields for Diamond Nation camps and leagues. The city would spend $7 million on adjacent parking.
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