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Ventura Sports nabs Laredo ballpark deal

The Laredo City Council will negotiate a new-ballpark deal with Ventura Sports, with an American Association team likely to be playing in the city in 2012.

Seven months after retaining HKS and local firm Humphries and Sanchez Architects to work on the specs of a new ballpark, the Laredo City Council shifted direction tonight and directed city staff to work out a new-ballpark agreement over the next 30 days with Ventura Sports, owner and operator of two independent American Association teams in Grand Prairie and El Paso.

The City Council chose Ventura Sports over the United Baseball League, which currently owns and operates the Laredo Bronocs in Veterans Stadium. With the new ballpark probably opening in 2012, it's hard to see Laredo as being capable of hosting two indy teams; we'd then presume the ULB will leave the market. The addition of Laredo at the same time as an expected team in suburban Houston would grow the American Association by two teams.

The new ballpark is expected to cost between $15 million and $18 million.

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