Sulphur Dell will once again host baseball, as the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the city of Nashville — led by Mayor Karl Dean — reached agreement on a funding plan for a new ballpark.
The specifics of the deal are expected to be announced on Monday. It’s actually a three-way partnership between the city, the Sounds ownership and the a third-party developer. If approved by Metro, the ballpark could open in time for the 2015 season.
“I’ve said all along that this proposal would need to make financial sense for the city and that the Sounds would need to have some skin in the game, and I’m proud this agreement meets those goals,” Mayor Dean said. “This investment north of downtown returns baseball to its historic home in Sulphur Dell and will spur further redevelopment of the Jefferson Street area. I want to thank all our partners in this deal, including Gov. Bill Haslam, the State Building Commission members and their staffs. Minor-league baseball offers affordable family fun, and I look forward to discussions in the coming weeks about this important and exciting part of the Nashville sports mix.”
Sulphur Dell, located between the northwest corner of downtown Nashville and the Germantown neighborhood, was the former home to Southern Association and Southern League baseball in the form of the Nashville Vols. The new ballpark will bring baseball back to the area while serving as bridge between the two areas. From the Tennessean:
The state owns 13 acres, and the deal includes a landswap agreement with San Antonio-based development firm Embrey, which plans to build a multi-family apartment project on that site. Under the agreement, the state would give its property, currently state employee parking lots and vacant land, to Metro and the Sounds would lease the stadium from the city once it’s built….
The proposed ballpark complex would be located on property that is currently undeveloped and sits between Jackson Street and Harrison Street, as well as Third Avenue North and Fifth Avenue North.
Images courtesy of Populous.
RELATED STORIES: Politicos: New Sounds ballpark would revitalize city core; Developer already anticipating Sulphuer Dell ballpark site; Key to new Sounds ballpark: Significant contribution from team owners; Nashville mayor: No financing plan yet for Sulphur Dell ballpark; Nashville: Bring baseball back to Sulphur Dell; Sounds extend Greer Stadium lease — but no new ballpark in sight; Sounds: We prefer East Bank for new-ballpark site; Nashville ballpark sites narrowed to three; Researching ballpark sites in Nashville; Nashville seeking community input for ballpark site; Nashville once again moving forward on new ballpark
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!