Wilson City Council Approves Agreement to Consider Baseball Redevelopment Project
During its meeting on February 16, the Wilson City Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mudcats Baseball to explore a baseball redevelopment project in Wilson. The non-binding agreement represents an understanding between the city and the Mudcats to continue to work diligently and in good faith to determine if the project is feasible for the city and the Mudcats organization.
The multi-use outdoor sports and entertainment facility would include a first-class ballpark that would be the home of the Mudcats baseball team and a venue for outdoor concerts, other sporting events, festivals and community events. The ballpark would be part of a larger outdoor recreation and entertainment complex, with retail and residential space surrounding the venue.
Several sites are under consideration, including sites in downtown Wilson and a centrally-located site outside of downtown. While the exact location is not yet known, it will be within the city limits and be located with adequate space for the related development that will follow the stadium.
“The city works hard to create recreation, entertainment, redevelopment, and economic development opportunities for our community,” said Wilson City Manager Grant Goings. “It is extremely rare for a single project to contain each of those elements, but this one does. The City Council’s goal is for the tax base growth of the economic development components of this project to cover the venue expenses and eliminate the need for any tax rate adjustments. We will be working hard over the next few months to reach that goal.”
The agreement approved by City Council directs city staff to work with Mudcats Baseball for agreement in the basic scope and structure of a more definite plan, and is a necessary step to determine if the project is viable in Wilson. Once the parties finish their exploration of the project, a Definitive Agreement may be signed. The MOU is non-binding and is not required to be made public, but is being announced so that Wilson’s citizens can be informed of this significant possibility for Wilson.
“We are encouraged by tonight’s announcement by the Wilson City Council that proposes building a stadium and surrounding development project that would serve as a new home for the affiliated baseball,” said Rick Schlesinger, Milwaukee Brewers President – Business Operations. “We are impressed with the vision of elected officials and City of Wilson administrators who have high interest in this project to reimagine the future of the community. A project of this nature and scope would have a significant economic impact on the area and create an extraordinarily valuable community asset.”
The City will be responsible for financing and constructing the venue according to MLB rules and regulations. The city would own the facility and lease it to the Mudcats, and would have access to the facility for many types of uses when the Mudcats aren’t playing.
“One of the most important components of public -private partnerships is the quality of the partners,” said Goings. “We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Mudcats Baseball, the outstanding leadership team of the Milwaukee Brewers, and private development partners who share our City Council’s vision and commitment. “
The next steps include work by both parties to determine the costs to design, develop and construct the venue. No specific timeline or cost estimate is available yet. This exploration process will continue for the next few months, with the next public step being consideration of a Definitive Agreement by the City Council, if both parties agree.
“While there is still significant work to be done, we look forward to the potential that this project would offer to both the Mudcats and the region,” said Schlesinger.
The Mudcats are owned and operated by the Milwaukee Brewers. They have played at Five County Stadium in Zebulon since 1991.
Once more details are known about the project, the city plans to hold a public forum for citizens to learn more and ask questions about the project.
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