Ripken Design has been chosen as project manager for a new Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark, but some councilmembers — as well as Mandalay Baseball Properties and the Atlanta Braves — object. Ripken Design was chosen from a list of 10 possible project managers, with the news posted Friday on the city Website. (Reporedly the runner-up: National Sports […]
Tag Archives | north carolina
Man arrested for peeping at Carolina Mudcats clubhouse
Zebulon (N.C.) police officers arrested a man who allegedly set up hidden cameras in the visitor’s clubhouse at Five County Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats (High Class A; Carolina League). Darryle Strong of Ayden, N.C., is accused of posing as a member of the cleaning staff and entering the clubhouse to set up the hidden […]
Mandalay, Braves to pursue private financing for new Wilmington ballpark
Mandalay Baseball Properties and the Atlanta Braves will pursue private financing for a new waterfront Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark, though some public money may end up being part of the deal. At a press conference this morning, Mandalay’s Rich Neumann and the Braves’ Mike Plant announced they’d be working on primarily private financing for the ballpark […]
Business leaders to push for new Wilmington ballpark
A new group of Wilmington (N.C.) business leaders is pushing for construction of a downtown ballpark for an Atlanta Braves farm team. The business leaders have formed the Wilmington Ballpark Coalition in an It will be headed by Jim Hundley, Jr., CEO of T2 Healthcare, which makes medical devices. “We’ve seen the great things that […]
In Lynchburg, sadness over potential loss of Hillcats
While Wilmington (N.C.) is giddy over the potential arrival of a team, fans of the Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League) are dreading the team’s potential departure. It’s the flip side to the happy story when a new team arrives in a new market: the market losing the team, creating a loss for local […]
What should Wilmington expect for new-ballpark attendance?
Mandalay Baseball Properties is projecting 350,000 fans showing up to Class A games at a new Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark. How realistic is this projection? As you’ll recall, Mandalay is working with the Atlanta Braves on a plan to bring in a High Class A Carolina League team to a new waterfront ballpark in Wilmington. Last […]
Economics of new Charlotte ballpark questioned
Though an economist spoke favorably of an uptown Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) ballpark, it didn’t take long for other economists to question his findings. UNC-Charlotte professor John Connaughton told the Charlotte City Council last week that a new uptown ballpark would create 490 jobs annually (along with a couple-hundred construction jobs) and bring […]
Poll: Wilmington residents overwhelmingly oppose public financing of new ballpark
A poll of 300 registered voters in Wilmington, N.C., indicated broad opposition to city financing of a new ballpark for an Atlanta Braves farm team — but don’t take it too seriously just yet. The proposal calls for a $40-million waterfront ballpark in downtown Wilmington, as part of a larger development. A High Class A […]
New Wilmington ballpark would be part of hotel, marina complex
More details on a proposed downtown Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark: it would be part of a hotel/marina/restaurant complex already under construction on the waterfront. Developer Chuck Schoninger envisions the ballpark, which would house an Atlanta Braves minor-league team, as a core part of a restaurant/marina/hotel complex. Work on the marina portion of the complex is already […]
Wilmington to move forward with ballpark talks
The Wilmington (N.C.) City Council voted to move forward with negotiations on a new downtown ballpark for an Atlanta Braves farm team during its Tuesday night meeting. Per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) unanimously passed, the city will exclusively negotiate a new ballpark development plan with Mandalay Baseball Properties and the Atlanta Braves over the […]
Wilmington ballpark dead on arrival?
Any potential for a new Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark is apparently dead in the water, as a political squabble between the city and New Hanover County over a totally unrelated item leads county officials to walk away from talks. It’s quite surreal, actually. City and county officials disagreed over whether the city should annex a new […]
SwampDogs set new attendance mark
The Fayetteville SwampDogs set a franchise attendance record at J.P. Riddle Stadium, as 6,049 fans turned out to watch their hometown team take on the Wilson Tobs — the first time the SwampDogs have ever reached the 6,000-fan plateau. “SwampDogs fans proved once again they’re the best fans in summer collegiate baseball,” said SwampDogs head coach […]
Kannapolis to buy Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium from Rowan County
Ownership of Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium, home of the Kannapolis Intimidators (Low Class A; Sally League), will be clearer after the city of Kannapolis takes over ownership of the ballpark from Rowan County, ending an uneasy partnership. The two government entities have owned Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium since it opened in 1995 but sparred over the actual […]