Nothing says spring like the crack of the bat at a baseball game. That sound could soon be heard along the riverfront in downtown Wilmington.
Wilmington has had two failed attempts to bring minor league baseball to the area, but with the passion of one downtown developer, County Commissioners say this time around the idea could be a home run.
"We think a baseball stadium would be a great municipal activity for the community," said developer Chuck Schoninger.
On two separate occasions Wilmington has tried to host a minor league baseball team. Both times the teams struck out. New Hanover County Commissioner Jason Thompson says one big reason they failed was because they couldn't serve alcohol at their field on UNCW's campus.
"So having to go on a college campus, we started with one hand tied behind our back," Thompson said.
Since then minor league baseball teams have been in the on-deck circle, but no developer was willing to build a stadium on riverfront property until now.
"This is a perfect time in a down economy to plan and execute ideas like this," Schoninger said.
Schoninger owns 35 acres along the Cape Fear River and says a baseball diamond would be a gem for the city's entrance.
"This is our front door of our city," he said, "and this would be a heck of an ornament on our front door."
Said Thompson, "You can imagine hitting home runs into the Cape Fear River. There's just something magical about that."
But Schoninger needs support from the city, county and possibly the state to build the $18 million facility. Thompson says that might be possible.
"I'd say we're as close as we've ever been," he said.
A Dream come true!
This is a perfect idea for the downtown area and for Wilmington. Sign me up for season tickets now!!!!! Hey I'm a taxpayer too and I see an importance for developing a new draw to the Wilmington area. Do people actually think we can fill this convention center with out of towners strictly by being a beach town?? Give the city something to make money for the dowtown area and maybe our budgets won't be in the toilet every July. And raising taxes to make up the difference. I agree! Wilmington be PRO-ACTIVE. Please don't pass on this opportunity!
Baseball Business
Mr. Thompson is correct about beer being necessary to minor league baseball; serving alcohol is the only way to profit from minor league ball. The nationwide pattern for minor league ball is: taxpayers fund a state-of-the-art stadium, minor league team agrees to short-team lease as long as beer can be sold, people do attend for the first three years, but as attendance falls off, team moves to another community that has just built (or promises to build) a new state-of-the art stadium. NO team will agree to a 20 year lease! Minor league baseball makes the money while the community pays for everything!
Save Downtown Wilmington
I have seen first hand in numerous cities the economic benefit of bringing something like this to a downtown area. I lived in Greenville, SC when the brought the Greenville Drive to a downtown that at the time wouldn't be driven through even in the light of day. The field and promise of activity throughout the season spurred big business relocations, residential communities, retail and dining experiences, and more! I believe this would be a HUGE success and much needed boost to our downtown economy! During the best time of year it would give Wilmingtonians a reason to spend the day or evening downtown boosting retail sales, restaurant business, even real estate purchases! Sign me up for season tickets!
This would be great!
This would be great! Baseball stadiums bring so much to an area. Entertainment, money, family fun, wholesome all American fun! We should show our support!
Worst comes to worst
If they build it and noone uses it, the WAKA kickball association will put it to use....adult kickball is the new thing.
Make it work before you build a new park!
This has been tried twice before with failure. Set the team up in Legion Stadium, sell beer, hot dogs, peanuts and soda. If the team can maintain popularity for 2 years and keep from being sold out to an out of town interest, consider building a new stadium for them. With the past record of baseball in this town, it would be assinine to spend the money on a stadium that will likely sit with the gates locked, no team on the field and no spectators in the bleachers.
I love baseball, but it has to work with OUR area and be popular with our people, otherwise...we will simply have another dead cow to clean up and bury.
The LAST thing the people need right now is ANOTHER mindless tax burden to bear!
Assinine?
Asinine doesn't have two..... oh no wait... YES in this case it does!!! **chuckle**
Good idea btw! I know you can buy beer at the Sharks games. They seem to be doing ok. I wonder how well they are really doing? I enjoy going to the games. Would this venture hurt their attendance? This would be a fine idea as long as it is not funded in any way by a taxpayer dime... except in the case that taxpayer was attending a game.
Not on my dime
Let me get this straight-we can't afford education, and they keep raising taxes, but we can afford to pay for this so this guy can make money? How many jobs would this even create? Not that many.
Im Confused ........
I was just brainstorming by creating 2 columns, good and bad....The ONLY good thing about this whole thing is it would create jobs.
The bad ? After reading some of the posts on here it was easy to create a list :
1. Sponsors ? somone mentioned getting sponsors to help with this, PPD, GE, etc...the only sponsors that were left out were TAX PAYERS !
2. Insanity ? we hope the city gets its own private financing, not TAXPAYER money !
3. Convention Center ? what a waste...If the city is having a brain-fart on building an over-priced convention center over-looking a disgusting, oily, crusty and filthy cape fear river, what makes us tax payers think you will get this baseball field done right the first time ???
Dont use my money on some BS and then raise our property taxes !
PS, i love the game of baseball, and it would really be a form of disrespect to America's past time if the city messed this whole thing up too.
JUST BUILD IT, and WE WILL COME !!!
BASEBALL IN WILMINGTON and DOWNTOWN BALLPARK
MAKES TOO MUCH SENSE,THUS AREA WILL PROBABLY VOTE DOWN.
people needs jobs,we need to make downtown work,we need to fill a convention center and hotel as well.
why not build a ballpark,hire some local people and add something of value to our community?
be pro-active,not re-active!
This would be great for Wilmington
Just need to get the large area corporations involved as sponsors, PPD, AAI, GE, Corning, Screen Gems, International Paper, the local media and banking companies involved in the cost of building the stadium complex and supporting it.
This time will be different. Sure.
I think one of the definitions of the word insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result. It has been tried twice and didn't work. If he wants to build it, great. Get private financing on your own. Don't look to tax money to build your pet project.
Tax Money
He's already looking at the taxpayer.
Finally a good idea for
Finally a good idea for boosting downtown....too bad that waste of money convention center couldn't have been made part of a stadium.
...and what kind of $$$$upport would that be, Thompson?
I am absolutely convinced that not a single member of city council or the county commissioners has any concept of financial reality, whatsoever.
Time to break out the tar and feathers...."...here the embattled taxpayers stood..."
BTW, what's wrong with Legion Stadium, just a few miles away?
Great fun!
I think it's a great idea. I used to take my son to the Mudcats and it was great fun!. But if Mr. Schoninger doesn't bring a baseball stadium to his property, perhaps he might consider a amphitheater similar to the Walnut Creek venue. Or better yet, a multi-use facility to capture both audiences.
If the state, city or county
are going to put up the funds for construction, let's hope there is enough thought put into this to require all work be performed by North Carolina based companies.
Baseball field on river
"We think a baseball stadium would be a great municipal activity for the community", said Developer Chuck Schoninger.
Sounds like a desperation move to me. It is also a horrible idea, and the word municipal alongside Jason Thompsons support is a clear indication that taxpayers would be the ones footing the bill for this ludicrous idea. The owners of this property payed too much for it and they are upside down. It is a nice piece of property and something worthwhile will go there if the owners are patient. Baseball has been steadily losing popularity over the past decades and this proposal is a complete joke.
Please, One fiasco at a
Please,
One fiasco at a time. If the (tiny new) Convention Center hasn't had a majority of the publics approval...wake up Council and hold the purse stings on this one!!
This $18,000,000 project will be $30,000,000 before all is said and done...believe it!
field
we got to have this it would be awesome
What does Wilmington want to be?
There have been many cost-benefit studies over the years that show the costs outweigh the benefits when talking about a minor league ballpark in Wilmington. However, the question is really what does Wilmington want to be? Most cities of comparable size and population makeups in NC and SC have minor league teams. Winston-Salem, Hickory, Greensboro, Durham, Myrtle Beach etc. These cities also have preforming arts venues, convention centers, hotels, restaurants, Univeristies, airports, etc. In order to be considered a true first-rate city, Wilmington needs a ballpark. But if we're content to continue the staus quo with a lack of entertainment options, qualitiy facilities, classy-looking streetscapes,etc. then that's our choice. We'll continue to drudge through being compared with cities like Kinston and Jacksonville. Just good luck in recruiting high-paying industry. Ultimately, you get what you pay for.
Maybe, you
should research your facts before you post.
Durham, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem all benefited from trusts established 50 years ago or longer, by the Tobacco families such as Reynolds and Liggett. Initially funded with some cash and tobacco company stock, the value of those trusts sky-rocketed when those tobacco companies were sold through leverage buy-outs.
Those funds were established to promote performing arts, museums, and such. Where do you think the money came from to establish Duke University? Where do you think the money came from to fund the move of Wake Forest University from Wake Forest to Winston-Salem?
Look at the annual tourist impact on Myrtle Beach. No wonder they have funds to spare.
I'm not conversant on Hickory; but common sense would indicate they must have access to some trusts of some sort. Does Hickory even have an airport?
Need I go on? Yes I will.
With the exception of Roy's River Boat Landing and Rith's Chris, Jacksonville can compete with Wilmington on the basis of restaurants.
And frankly, it's a lot safer to walk the streets of Jacksonville or the mall parking lots than it is to do the same in Wilmington.
If you are attempting to promote baseball, why are you knocking Kinston? They have the Kinston Indians.
It appears you spoke without researching.
Ultimately, you are what you speak.
I vote for fiscal responsibility
We don't need TWO stadiums, and we already have one.
BTW, don't slight dingy old Jacksonville. It's currently the fastest growing city in the state, even if they don't have "classy-looking streetscapes," whatever they might be.
They sound expensive. We have no money. Does living within our budget mean that we can't be a "first-rate city?"
Can we be a second-rate city with really low taxes? Sounds good to me!