FeedsCity explores minor league baseball park
Professional baseball could soon be coming to Romulus.
City officials confirmed they are negotiating with a group to bring minor league baseball to a stadium it hopes to build at the Bear Creek property.
Tim Keyes, economic development director for the city, said he has been in talks with the group for about 18 months.
“I can tell you we’re talking with someone right now, and I cannot say who,” he said. “We’re in negotiations right now, and I was hoping to have an official announcement in 30 days, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
Minor League baseball could mean big business and big money for the city. The Toledo Mud Hens – a minor league team associated with the Detroit Tigers – regularly sell out Fifth Third Field, which is located in downtown Toledo.
That structure, which seats 10,300 fans, cost $22 million to build. Cincinnati-based commercial real estate company Bear Creek Capital signed a deal with the developers of the Metro World Center to place entertainment and retail projects.
Keyes said it’s premature to speculate about the size or the scope of a facility that could be constructed in Romulus.
“It’s all premature right now,” he said.
What is certain is that having a field would be a good harbinger for increased business activity – and one that fits into the overall plan for Romulus to become an entertainment destination in Southeast Michigan, he said.
“When we started looking at businesses that would attract more business, this one of the first things that came up,” Keyes said.
Mayor Alan Lambert said a ball diamond would bring increased activity to the city.
“We can’t say too much about it now,” he said, “but it’s a great idea.”
A ballpark would join the already-planned casino and racetrack slated to rise from a vacant parcel of land on Vining Road, once federal and state approvals fall into place. The city hopes that, with these larger projects, off-shoot projects will come to town.
“Business breeds business, and that’s all there is to it,” said Councilman William Crova. “We’ve looked at this for a while, and it’s the type of thing that would attract smaller projects. If we can get it done, it would be a great addition (to the city).”
Officials hope restaurants, stores, retail outlets and other small businesses would be willing to do business in and around the new stadium.
