The new baseball stadium in Madison? (Huntsville: sales, apartment complexes, hotels)

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by lindy112

That looks like a very intricate design to only have a $40M price tag. Hope Madison doesn't bankrupt itself ...

Agree with that. At Mississippi State they're essentially building a new stadium (leaving the lower grandstands, but razing the rest) and I think the price is something like $55M. I'm guessing the $40M doesn't include everything you see in the drawings ... just the stadium itself.

[HB2HSV]

Where in Madison?

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Where in Madison?

They're supposedly looking at several places I think, but the main site seems to be Town Madison.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

I am pro-Madison, but why is this stadium not going downtown Huntsville? I think that is a mistake.

Maybe because Hunstville doesn't have or doesn't want to spend $40 million on a new ballpark?

Having followed minor league baseball over the last 30 years, teams basically go to the cities/towns that want to spend the money on constructing the ballpark. Sure building a new ballpark in downtown Hunstville sounds a lot better than having one in the 'burbs, but if they don't pony up the money, then it won't happen, simple as that.

[cgrab]

Mayor Battle said he didn't want a team or a stadium and he also got rid of the city golf course. If I had a say in any of this, I would build the stadium across Zerdt road on Federal land and save the private land for income producing buildings. The stadium is a loss leader and the Arsenal is giving away land for civilian purposes. Seems they could loose less by building it there.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

...the main site seems to be Town Madison.

I can't wait to see how that will impact home values in adjacent neighborhoods.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by cgrab

Mayor Battle said he didn't want a team or a stadium and he also got rid of the city golf course. If I had a say in any of this, I would build the stadium across Zerdt road on Federal land and save the private land for income producing buildings. The stadium is a loss leader and the Arsenal is giving away land for civilian purposes. Seems they could loose less by building it there.

Actually that's not accurate, This what the Mayor said back in April.

Mayor Tommy Battle explained the future of baseball in Huntsville as it stands right now.
"At this time, we have no plans to build a new baseball stadium. It's a $42 million question if you get into it," said Mayor Battle. "We want to find something that gives a use to the old stadium. If baseball ever came back up, I made it very abundantly clear we will be looking for someone who will partner with us. A partner would be bringing their money to the table. It would have to be a significant amount. They would have to also have local ownership. They would also need to be somebody who would be interested in long-term success of the team."
Battle said they learned a lot of lessons with the Huntsville Stars.
"If we ever get back to that stage, each one of the citizens will have to have a say in it. There would have to be some buy-in... There would have to be enough community backing to make it happen."

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by cgrab

Mayor Battle said he didn't want a team or a stadium and he also got rid of the city golf course. If I had a say in any of this, I would build the stadium across Zerdt road on Federal land and save the private land for income producing buildings. The stadium is a loss leader and the Arsenal is giving away land for civilian purposes. Seems they could loose less by building it there.

and no he didn't get rid of the city golf course:
Mayor Tommy Battle praised the work of the City Council, who approved the multi-use park plan at their June 22 meeting, and the process they took in arriving at that decision. Council devoted a work session to consider the issue – retain the golf course or turn it into a multi-use park. *Council provided opportunities for the public to speak, which brought passionate comments from residents on both sides of the issue.
“It truly was an exercise in democracy,” Battle said. “It was not an easy decision. The Council looked at it very thoughtfully and they finally came down with a good decision, but a tough one to make.”
The mixed-use plan is expected to cost $1.25 million to implement, and funding is available. That’s half the estimated cost to sufficiently renovate the golf course and bring it up to standards recommended by consulting group Raven Golf.
Huntsville’s quandary with its municipal golf course is hardly unique. There was a net closure of 171 golf courses in the U.S. in 2016, according to the National Golf Federation. There are fewer golfers now than 20 years ago and there are more courses closing each year than are opening.
More than two out of three courses that closed last year charged less than $39 in greens fees, a category that would include the “Muni.” Raven Golf revealed there were 89 patrons who held annual passes permitting unlimited play. They played a total of 9,854 rounds, at an average cost of $5.45. That meant less money to reinvest in proper maintenance.
Battle said the City began the process of trying to figure out how to keep the golf course financially solvent, but it’s hard to argue with numbers. After listening to the golf community and the many groups involved in mountain bike riding and running, the Mayor says the City realized this park “could have a whole lot more appeal to a whole lot more people” if it moved in a new direction.

The renovated park will anchor the south end of the John Hunt Park complex, replacing the golf course that has been closed since late 2016.
New park amenities will include a cross-country running track, walking trails, a mountain bike facility, dog park and disc golf course. It will continue to serve local golfers with an expanded, lighted driving range.
The proposed design takes advantage of the rolling contour of the 140-acre property and existing six miles of paved paths to provide a variety *of experiences for bikers, runners and walkers.
It will neighbor the 30-court Huntsville Tennis Center (under expansion), soccer and youth league baseball fields and new sand volleyball courts recently approved for construction

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by cjseliga

Maybe because Hunstville doesn't have or doesn't want to spend $40 million on a new ballpark?

Having followed minor league baseball over the last 30 years, teams basically go to the cities/towns that want to spend the money on constructing the ballpark. Sure building a new ballpark in downtown Hunstville sounds a lot better than having one in the 'burbs, but if they don't pony up the money, then it won't happen, simple as that.

I agree, and it's a BS plan. The governments of Huntsville and Madison really need to be on the same page, but I sense some competition. Maybe there isn't. But ballparks are bad long term investments if they aren't in the right locations. For a city the size of Huntsville, there is no other real option for a ballpark except downtown. If you can't do that, I wouldn't build one.

[cgrab]

I spoke with one of the Mayor's advisors on development over a beer, I think I got the inside story and not a press release.