On Thursday, Madison, AL presented some key details about its proposed ballpark at Town Madison, including information on its design.
While work remains to make the proposal a reality, the ballpark is being planned as a new home for relocating Mobile BayBears (Class AA; Southern League). Madison officials have been working with BallCorps, LLC–the ownership group that purchased the BayBears last year–-to plan for the ballpark, and the two sides have come to terms on a 30-year lease, management, and license agreement.
The 86-page agreement was released on Thursday, and included some details about the 7,000-capacity ballpark’s planned features. Designed by Populous, the concept for a new Madison ballpark calls for amenities such as a kid’s zone, indoor and outdoor suite seating, and an open concourse. The ballpark would be situated on the west side of Town Madison, with a walkway connecting the development to an entrance in left field.
The city has set a $46 million budget for the facility, and BallCorps and Madison would split the ballpark naming-rights revenue. Parking revenue, meanwhile, would be shared among BallCorps, the city, and Town Madison. More from AL.com:
The city also announced Thursday night that negotiations with Town Madison regarding infrastructure funding have been completed. The fact that those negotiations were ongoing led the city council to table an agenda item relating to the development at Monday’s meeting until those final details were ironed out.
The details of that agreement will be released no later than Monday, Madison Mayor Paul Finley said, and be presented to the city council for approval on March 12.
“We are proud of our city team and the long hours they have put in during the past few months to make this happen,” Finley said in the announcement posted on the city’s website. “Town Madison, anchored by our multi use venue and minor league baseball, is the premiere regional destination spot that will enhance our community and the Tennessee Valley for decades to come.”
Under the current timeline, the new Madison ballpark will open for the BayBears in 2020, though the team still needs league approval to relocate. The BayBears would remain in Mobile at Hank Aaron Stadium for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Madison is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area, which has not had a professional baseball team of its own since the Huntsville Stars (Class AA; Southern League) played their final full season at Joe W. Davis Stadium in 2014.
Renderings courtesy Populous and City of Madison.
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