Frank Boulton is one of four participants in a request for proposal (RFP) process for the land that includes Surf Stadium, former home of the Atlantic City Surf.
Atlantic City recently decided to move forward with an RFP process for the 143-acre Bader Field, a site that includes Surf Stadium. The ballpark originally opened as The Sandcastle in 1998 to host the Surf, then a member of the Atlantic League. After the Surf’s last season in 2008, the ballpark’s condition fell on hard times, but it was eventually put back into working order to host tournaments.
Boulton, who is involved in the ownership of multiple Atlantic League clubs–the Bridgeport Bluefish and the Long Island Ducks–and an original owner of the Surf, has submitted a proposal for the site. Boulton’s proposal focuses on specifically on Surf Stadium, which would receive necessary repairs along the way and perhaps be used once again for professional baseball. More from Press of Atlantic City:
Boulton’s proposal includes only development of the stadium, he said in an interview Monday.
“My goal is to assist in returning professional baseball to Atlantic City,” he said. “It’s an asset that’s being underused.”
Boulton said he has visited the site on several occasions and met with city officials to discuss a path he has to return baseball to the city. He said he has gotten interest from people who want to buy a team to play there.
The stadium’s lighting and scoreboard were damaged in Hurricane Sandy and would cost about $1 million to fix, Mayor Don Guardian said in an interview on WOND’s Off The Press on Monday. Guardian said Boulton’s proposal would include picking up the cost of those repairs.
The Bluefish are facing an uncertain status for 2018, as city officials recently decided to move forward with a proposal to convert The Ballpark at Harbor Yard into an outdoor concert venue. The club’s lease expires after the 2017 season.
As noted, Boulton’s is one of four proposals for Bader Field to have been submitted. The other entities participating include Atlantic Adventures LLC, Pipe Dream Development Group, and Bader Field Development LLC.