The City of Bellmead is aiming for a home run, as the new home for professional baseball in Central Texas.

City officials have made an agreement with the Southwest League of Professional Baseball to build a ballpark off Loop 340, as the future home for a team that would start play in April 2018. The parties have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), as they work out other details leading to a more formal contract over the next 180 days, said Bellmead City Manager Bo Thomas.

“We just want to do our due diligence in making sure certain conditions are met,” Thomas said. “The biggest thing we’re still working through is the financing, working through a plan that is acceptable for the city’s interest and also to Ventura Sports Group and their investors. But we’re very excited about this project.”

Thomas said that the target area for the ballpark would be located at Research Avenue and Loop 340, near the Skate Country roller skating rink, where the city owns a 13.5-acre plot of land it had earmarked for future economic development.

“It’s a great spot, with good visibility to both Interstate 35 and Loop 340,” Thomas said. “The baseball folks are also really excited about that area, and the potential it has.”

Mark Schuster is a managing partner with Ventura Sports Group and president of the SWL. He said that the Waco market has been on the radar for he and his investors since 2009. But in the past 18 months, as the SWL has taken shape, Schuster has had a number of meetings with Bellmead officials about building the ballpark there.

“We knew that the Waco market was one we had to be in,” Schuster said. “Just based on the demographics, the makeup of the league and what we wanted to accomplish. It certainly fit in geographically. … As we started meeting with Bo and talking about the project and seeing the excitement that the City of Bellmead had, it really came together pretty quickly.”

Schuster said the SWL will consist of independent teams in six Texas cities that currently lack professional baseball. The league plans to announce the other cities in the coming weeks.

Schuster said that he should receive schematic plans for the exact design and look of the multipurpose stadium within a week. The league’s plan is to break ground at the Bellmead site in November 2016, followed by 12 months of construction, Schuster said. That would yield a certificate of occupancy of November 2017. The proposed opening day date for the first baseball game in the new stadium is April 26, 2018.

Mutli-purpose park

The SWL wants to build stadiums with a seating capacity of 2,000 to 4,000. The ballpark would feature an artificial surface, an LED video board, play areas for children and luxury suites, and would be designed to host other events in addition to baseball.

“We’re definitely looking at a true multipurpose stadium,” Schuster said. “It could host professional soccer matches, high school football games, rugby, in addition to concerts and festivals. There will also be a retail component, with 30,000 to 40,000 square feet of retail space. That could be used for private office space, restaurants, apartment lofts. We haven’t really drilled down that far to figure out the exact makeup of the retail space yet.”

Thomas said that considering the stadium’s multipurpose design, it could provide a big boost to the Bellmead economy.

“I think the stadium will have the capacity to be utilized for all kinds of events, both athletic and non-athletic,” Thomas said. “Everything from Boy and Girl Scout jamborees to corporate meetings and weddings. Obviously I don’t think this is going to in any way rival McLane Stadium. But I think it will be a very attractive A-plus facility that can be used for multiple activities. … It’s really a golden opportunity for the City of Bellmead.”

Schuster said the SWL is planning a press conference in about six weeks to officially announce its plans to build in Bellmead. After that event, the league will hold a name-the-team contest for the Waco community to submit mascot ideas for the new team.

“We see this as a quality of life project for the Waco area,” Schuster said. “It will change the landscape. Certainly during the summertime, when it’s opposite the Baylor experience, it will fill a void in the market. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

 

Source : wacotrib.com

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