Demolition of existing buildings to make way for a new High Point ballpark will begin on Friday, marking a major turning point for the project.
In High Point, NC, officials are looking move to forward with a downtown ballpark that would host an independent Atlantic League team and anchor a broader development concept. For the larger redevelopment plan, a group led by High Point University president Nido Qubein has raised $50 million in pledges, with those funds intended for the purchase of a franchise and construction of surrounding amenities.
The event on Friday will mark a turning point for the project, as crews will begin demolishing existing buildings to make way for the new development. This comes as local officials work toward a 2019 opening for the new ballpark. More from WFMY News:
Construction crews will be tearing down a building that use to serve as a doctor’s office on the corner of Church and Pine Streets to make way for the stadium.
City Councilman Jason Ewing says he expects a lot of people to attend.
“It’s an exciting time. It’s a turning point for our city,” said Ewing. “Finally, after a lot of talk about revitalization, we are going to see some heavy machinery start tearing down buildings and watch what is going to be built here over the next year and a half.
The ballpark is expected to serve as the new home of the former Bridgeport Bluefish. With Bridgeport’s Ballpark at Harbor Yard slated to be converted into an amphitheater, the Bluefish are being replaced by a Road Warriors entry on the Atlantic League’s 2018 schedule.
In October, the High Point City Council voted to move forward with a “Plan B” funding model that called for the city to borrow $30 to $35 million for the project and pay off the related debt on its own. That came a month after Guilford County commissioners opted to hold off for 60 to 90 days on making any decisions regarding the county’s funding participation in the project.
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