Discussions over a proposed Brunswick, GA ballpark for a summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League team will continue into early 2020, with city officials expected to consider the next steps in January.
BQK Baseball, LLC–an entity backed by Danielle and Nick Sunderhaus–is in aiming to launch a CPL team in Brunswick. As part of that effort, they are in discussions with city officials about a proposed venue that would house the team and be designed to accommodate other events. Amateur sports would be part of that mix, along with festivals, concerts, and community gatherings, with the city receiving the right to use the facility up to six times annually for community and charitable events.
Brunswick officials have yet to decide whether to enter into a pair of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with BQK Baseball, LLC. The MOUs lay out some crucial terms of a potential agreement, including a proposal for the city to fund a facility that is not to exceed $13 million–unless the two sides mutually agree on a change to the estimate–and for BQK to commit to the ballpark for at least 15 years. City commissioners decided at a Wednesday meeting to defer a decision on the MOUs until January, with a vote now expected on January 15 and a town hall on the proposal to take place between January 1 and the vote date. BQK is pitching the proposal as a community benefit, and a new entertainment option. More from The Brunswick News:
According to the MOUs set forth, a multi-complex facility is to be funded by the city, whether through public or private funding, at an estimated cost not to exceed $13 million, though the estimate may be increased or decreased by agreement of both the city and BQK. The MOUs also stipulate BQK would make “significant investment” in the stadium and improvements, and would commit to remaining at the stadium for at least 15 years. A penalty of $1,000 would be enforced per regularly scheduled home game at another site.
The stadium would be controlled and managed by BQK and used primarily for collegiate summer league events, in addition to other professional and amateur sporting events, and non-sporting events such as concerts, festivals and community events. With the understanding CPL games take priority, the city would also have the right to hold up to six community and charitable events per year at the venue.
For BQK, the desire to build a stadium with a capacity of 3,000-3,500 for CPL summer league games
“Our mission statement is to entertain the city and the surrounding communities, and give back,” said Nick Sunderhaus. “If you’re bringing business to a community, you need some type of entertainment for the families that are going to come here.”
The exact location of the proposed ballpark remains undetermined for now. Brunswick is located in southeast Georgia, just over an hour south of Savannah–home to the CPL’s Savannah Bananas.