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Kannapolis eyes new downtown Intimidators ballpark

Kannapolis IntimidatorsA new downtown ballpark may be in the cards for the Kannapolis Intimidators (Low Class A; Sally League), as city officials debate the pros and cons during a planning retreat today.

It’s no secret downtown Kannapolis could use a boost, and some city officials say a new Intimidators ballpark could substantially increase foot traffic and bring new folks in. CMC-Northeast Stadium, the current home of the Intimidators, is near the freeway and is easily accessible, but it’s showing its age. Other options include upgrades to CMC-Northeast Stadium or a new ballpark elsewhere in the city. From the Independent Tribune:

The move could increase downtown foot traffic by the hundreds of thousands and provide Kannapolis with a cultural and entertainment district on the property, city manager Mike Legg said. He emphasized the discussion Thursday mostly will be a brainstorming session, and a new stadium likely would be at least two years down the road if the council decided on that course.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said. “It’s probably a multi-year planning period, and then we have to find other sources of revenue, which will take time and other partners.”

The talk is preliminary, and it would take a few years (at the least) for a new ballpark to be built. Kannapolis built CMC-Northeast Stadium in partnership with Rowan County but bought out the county’s share to assume full ownership.

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