Feeds‘Whether’ delays ballpark negotiations
Negotiations for a minor league baseball park with Detroit-based Ilitch Holdings have not progressed during the past several weeks, and the prospect of having a team sponsored by the Tigers organization may be getting dimmer.
Romulus Mayor Alan Lambert would not discuss the issues that city officials and Ilitch representatives are grappling with, and that are stopping the construction of a park and the arrival of a team.
“We think having minor league baseball would be a great opportunity for us, and I still think there may be a chance that we can come to an agreement soon,” said Lambert. “A baseball park would anchor a lot of the things we would like to see in that part of the city – retail, restaurants, other businesses.
“There was a meeting a couple of weeks ago that I thought would resolve things, but I don’t think we’ve made much progress,” he added.
The city has been in negotiations with Ilitch Holdings for about one year. Another party to possible development of a park and entertainment district is Bear Creek Capital, which is one of the major developers for the Metro World site near Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Metro World Center is a concept that would cover 73-acres of vacant land. It was initially conceived with office and technology space, but the decision was made last year to widen the area that would be earmarked for entertainment and retail purposes. A park would potentially be located at Wick and Vining roads.
Though the possibility of an Ilitch-sponsored project is in limbo, the potential for minor league baseball in Romulus is very much alive, Lambert said.
“I believe that (Economic Development Director) Tim Keyes has a meeting with an independently-owned franchise sometime in May,” he said. “There are teams that are out there that aren’t affiliated with a major league team – the Lansing Lugnuts are one of them – and they have expressed interest in the city.”
Minor league baseball could be a harbinger of good things for the city and the region, which is reeling from auto job losses. Triple A teams are also wildly popular with fans – 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 seats 10,300 and brings a steady stream of fans who spend money at nearby businesses and retailers. In 2006, Toledo hosted the Triple All-Star Game, and $3 million was pumped into the community, according to published reports.
Karen Cullen, a spokesperson for Ilitch Holdings, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment about the negotiations.
Lambert said Romulus is an ideal location for a baseball stadium, and that they city would welcome whomever wanted to sign a deal to build the facility.
“We still have a lot to offer here,” he said. “It’s a great place for a ball park. I think it would go over well here.”
