A proposal to convert Cooper Stadium, the former home of the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League), to a racetrack is drawing continued opposition from neighborhood groups, who fear it will negatively impact land values. The ballpark has been empty since the Clippers moved to downtown’s Huntington Park, but Arshot Investment Corp. has been working […]
Archive | Endangered Ballparks
Lee County to move forward with City of Palms Park aquatic conversion
Lee County will move to the next stage of negotiations with the National Swimming Corp. to covert City of Palms Park, the former spring-training home of the Boston Red Sox, to a natatorium after county commissioners realized pro baseball was not in the facility’s future. The proposal has the company paying $18.2 million to convert […]
Cocoa Expo poised for return to business
Cocoa Expo, the former spring-training home of the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and regular-season home of the Cocoa Astros (High Class A; Florida State League), could reopen after a new owner rescues it from bankruptcy. The facility, which in recent years has served as a youth-baseball facility and eyed as the potential home of a summer-collegiate […]
Bush Stadium could anchor new Indy tech/housing development
In one of the more interesting ballpark-redevelopment efforts to come down the pike in recent years, Indianapolis officials are proposing a renovation of Bush Stadium, the former home of the Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League), into apartments as an attraction for new bioscience firms in the neighborhood. We alluded to the proposal last weekend, […]
New plan for old Bush Stadium: apartments
Still in a state of disrepair, Indianapolis’s Bush Stadium has been the subject of many redevelopment plans over the years, most of which would preserve the grandstand — but the latest plan would certainly be a most unique take on ballpark preservation. The plan, which will be officially announced this week, calls for 100 loft-style […]
Shining knight to rescue Civic Stadium?
Local grocer Rick Wright is offering to lease Civic Stadium for three years to give the local Y and the Save Civic Stadium activists a chance to put together a plan to save the historic WPA-era facility and the former home to the Eugene Emeralds (short season; Northwest League). Wright owns Market of Choice, a […]
Future of City of Palms Park still under debate
Though many in Fort Myers would like to see another MLB team train at City of Palms Park, that’s not happening any time soon, and Lee County is struggling to find a future use for the ballpark — with an outdoor pool again at the top of the list. It’s no secret Fort Myers and […]
Are final days near for RFK Stadium?
RFK Stadium is falling down, but what happens next to the former home of the Washington Senators and the Washington Nationals is anyone’s guess, as it will take lots of money to fix it up when there’s no obvious financial payout or an Act of Congress — literally — to tear it down. RFK Stadium […]
Faithful descend for piece of Ray Winder Field
Another piece of history went off into the sunset this weekend, as 500 seats from Ray Winder Field, the former home of the Arkansas Travelers (Class AA; Texas League), were given away to baseball fans waiting overnight in line. Fans arrived on Friday night for the Saturday morning giveaway of the old-fashioned metal-and-iron folding chairs, […]
Mapping the future of Olympic Stadium
Tired of subsidizing Olympic Stadium to the tune of $19 million a year, the provincial panel overseeing it has appointed a citizens committee to map the future of the former Montreal Expos home, but tearing it down isn’t an option — yet. The committee is headed by Lise Bissonnette, regarded as somewhat of a rising […]
Eugene: We’re not spending money on Civic Stadium
The Eugene City Council rejected a proposal to spend $200,000 on Civic Stadium, saying tight budgets and the lack of a solid financial plan to save the historic facility make an investment imprudent at this time. The preservationist group Save Civic Stadium, with the support of two councilors, had hoped to secure two $100,000 payments […]
City: Give us your ideas for Ottawa Stadium site
In another sign that Ottawa isn’t too serious about keeping Ottawa Stadium open, the city is scheduling work sessions for the public to submit ideas for what should be build on the ballpark site in the future — with the assumption the ballpark is going away after this season. The ballpark, the longtime home of […]
Developer: We’ll move Civic Stadium if that’s what it takes
The developers seeking to put a strip mall and Fred Meyer store at Eugene’s Civic Stadium site say they will pay to move part of the historic WPA-era structure to another site in the city if that’s what it takes to win approval for the development. Steve Master and Peter Powell offered a bid for […]