Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/765699
DECEMBER 21-27, 2016 UCW 11 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM City Council and the Houston Astros baseball club have signed a 30-year lease agreement for a Single-A minor league baseball team in Fayetteville. Astros Team President Reid Ryan and Mayor Nat Robertson signed the deal following formal council action in city hall. "This has been a very enjoyable process," said Ryan. "We're in this for the long haul," he added. He's the son of baseball hall of famer Nolan Ryan who once played with the Astros. The Fayetteville team will be joining the Carolina League along with a new Texas Rangers minor league club in Kinston. Both teams are moving to North Carolina from California. Cit y Manager Doug Hewet t told council Fayet tev ille is "poised to ma ke histor y " in br ing ing professiona l baseba ll back to t he cit y. "I'm ver y proud to lead t his renaissance t hat w ill br ing about a quar ter million people to our dow ntow n for approx imately 70 games a year," said Rober t son. In separate ac t ion earlier, t he cit y voted to ret ain baseba ll consult ant Jason Freier of Hardba ll Capitol to oversee development of t he $33 million st adium in t he center cit y. Council a lso approved bond under w r it ing at tor neys who w ill manage t he sa le of bonds to f inance t he st adium. T he cit y hopes to brea k g round on t he ba llpark nex t summer. It w ill open in t he spr ing of 2019 in t ime for t he baseba ll season. In t he meant ime, t he Fayet tev ille team w ill c a ll Jim Per r y St adium at Campbell Universit y home. Cit y Council sees t he st adium as a c at a lyst for economic development in dow ntow n Fayet tev ille. A $15 million renovat ion of t he for mer Pr ince Charles Hotel building is a lready par t of what 's projec ted to be $100 million wor t h of invest ment s. T he cit y 's economic and development direc tor, Jim Pa lenick is on record as say ing t hat upon complet ion of t he projec t s and rea lig nment of t he Brag g Boulevard / Murchsion Road gateway to dow ntow n, Fayet tev ille w ill have become a proven market for high- dollar development . "Five years dow n t he road, Fayet tev ille w ill be perceived much dif ferent ly," he says. T he council's baseba ll commit tee, which spent si x mont hs put t ing t he A st ros dea l toget her, env isions t he st adium as a mult i- pur pose enter t ainment facilit y. It w ill be desig ned af ter a larger st adium ow ned by Freier in Columbia, S .C ., but on a sma ller sc a le. It w ill feat ure a 360-deg ree concourse, out f ield ber m seat ing , a large picnic area and, of course, a g randst and. T he st adium should accommodate about 4, 500 fans. T he play ing f ield w ill be c apable of reconf ig urat ion for soccer and footba ll. Concer t s and fest iva ls c an a lso be st aged t here as env isioned. Fayetteville Signs with Houston Astros bY JEFF THOMPSON NEWS JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200. Come see our personalized giftware & decor for all of your Holiday shopping needs. Purses, Jewelry, Baby Gifts, Apparel, Kitchenware, Christmas Decor and more!