Milwaukie (Ore.) has a week to decide if a new ballpark for a summer-collegiate West Coast League team is in the city’s future — or whether a team is unable to justify the revenue necessary for a large-scale project. Spurned by the short-season Northwest League, the city has turned to the WCL as a possible […]
Archive | Future Ballparks
Hotel tax on El Paso ballot; no direct choice for voters
The El Paso City Council voted to include a provision on the fall ballot to raise the hotel tax to pay for a Class AAA ballpark, but voters will not directly vote on whether a ballpark should be built. The plan all along was to ask voters to approve a two-percentage-point increase in the city’s […]
New Hanover County won’t assist new Wilmington ballpark — yet
Perhaps waiting to see if there’s political support for a new downtown Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark, New Hanover County commissioners decided to wait on any financial backing for the project — for now. The hotly contested issue will be before voters this fall, as the city and Mandalay Baseball Properties are negotiating a deal to bring […]
No lease, but ballpark funding will go before Wilmington voters
It’s official: Wilmington (N.C.) voters will be asked this fall to approve $37 million in bonding for a new waterfront ballpark for an Atlanta Braves farm team, despite the lack of a lease between the parties. We had reported that Wilmington and Mandalay Baseball Properties had failed to reach agreement on a lease for a […]
Milwaukie to study economic impact of summer-collegiate ball
The Milwaukie (Ore.) City Council voted to spend $5,000 on updated economic studies to determine the impact of a summer-collegiate team team at a new ballpark — but declined to start negotiating with the West Coast League. The city had been negotiating with the short-season Northwest League about the possible move of a franchise, but […]
Wilmington, Mandalay delay ballpark decision
Unable to reach a final accord, the city of Wilmington (N.C.) and Mandalay Baseball Properties will put off signing a memorandum of understanding on a new ballpark — but the bond issue will still be on the fall ballot. The two sides have been negotiating for weeks on the parameters of a ballpark deal. And […]
Outline of Wilmington ballpark deal emerges: $37M, 5,500 seats
The outline of a Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark deal is emerging, as the City Council will consider a proposed $37-million, 5,500-seat facility to be built at a prized waterfront site. Though nothing is final — and neither Mandalay Baseball Properties nor the Atlanta Braves have signed off on any lease — CIty Council members have been […]
West Coast League to Milwaukie? Highly unlikely
In one of the most improbable pitches ever, the summer-collegiate West Coast League says it would be happy to pursue public funding for a new Milwaukie (Ore.) ballpark after the Northwest League failed to meet a deadline. The Portland suburb has been talking with the short-season circuit about a new $25-million ballpark for the 2014 […]
Milwaukie: Efforts to bring Northwest League team to new ballpark are done
The inability of the short-season Northwest League to commit a team to a new ballpark has led Milwaukie (Ore.) officials to drop work on funding for such a new facility. The league and the city were facing a July 31 deadline for a team. Last week the league informed the city that a team commitment […]
Opposition to El Paso ballpark surfaces
It wouldn’t be a real ballpark if there wasn’t real opposition, as petitions opposing public funding of a new downtown El Paso ballpark are now being circulated. In fact, we can’t recall any effort for a new ballpark where opponents didn’t organize on some level, whether it be citizens groups going to court to oppose […]
Still no final numbers for Wilmington ballpark; talks continue
Wilmington (N.C.) officials say they’re dedicated to a new-ballpark budget under $40 million, but talks between the city and Mandalay Baseball Properties continue over the parameters of a deal. The two sides are working on a proposal for a public funded new facility to be managed by Mandalay and occupied by the relocating Lynchburg Hillcats […]
Negotiations fail to yield agreement on Wilmington ballpark lease
Talks between Wilmington (N.C.) officials and Mandalay Baseball Properties on a lease for a proposed downtown ballpark have failed to result in a lease agreement, but negotiations will continue. The two sides are discussing a deal for a new ballpark for the relocating Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League), with the team owned by the Atlanta Braves and the […]
Phoenixville committee to study ballpark feasibility
A study to determine the feasibility of an affiliated short-season or independent team in Phoenixville (Pa.) as part of a larger development of the former Phoenix Steel Co. site will begin shortly. The review, which will be conducted by the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC), will be used by the Phoenixville Baseball Committee to help determine the […]