METRO NASHVILLE COUNCIL APPROVES GREER STADIUM LEASE WITH MFP BASEBALL
League OKs are Remaining Hurdle for New Sounds Ownership
NASHVILLE – The Metropolitan Council gave unanimous consent Dec. 16 to an agreement which will allow MFP Baseball, a group of investors applying for ownership of the Nashville Sounds AAA baseball franchise, to lease Greer Stadium and begin upgrading the 30-plus-year-old ballpark.
The Council’s approval at a special meeting was needed to extend a lease that had been granted to the team’s departing owner, but which was due to expire December 31. The new lease allows MFP to stay in the stadium for up to five years, and it stipulates that the new owners will make some badly needed improvements.
While the lease leaves the new owners some latitude in prioritizing the improvements, they have stated that they intend to do repairs or upgrades to restrooms, concession stands, the scoreboard, the sound system and to damaged seats. There also are some life safety and handicapped access issues that MFP has agreed to address.
Contracts for the work are expected to be secured by next month, and construction will begin around Feb. 1.
“We hope to have as much of the work as is possible completed by opening day, which is April 9,” said MFP partner Frank Ward, who is buying the team along with Masahiro Honzawa and Steve Posner.
The ownership group will proceed with the work as it awaits final approval from the Pacific Coast League and from Major League Baseball for its acquisition of the Milwaukee Brewers minor league franchise. In all, at least $1.75 million will go into upgrades at Greer, the lease states.
The leagues are expected to issue their decision about MFP’s ownership by late January, Ward said, adding that settling the short-term stadium lease issue should help with the approval process.
“We appreciate Mayor Dean and the Council moving quickly to get this lease approved,” Ward said. “It will allow us to make significant progress before the 2009 season starts. This stadium is old and will never be a perfect environment. But we will do all we can to make it clean, safe and accessible. Hopefully, someday soon we can begin discussing a new ballpark, but for right now our focus is on Greer.”
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League OKs are Remaining Hurdle for New Sounds Ownership
NASHVILLE – The Metropolitan Council gave unanimous consent Dec. 16 to an agreement which will allow MFP Baseball, a group of investors applying for ownership of the Nashville Sounds AAA baseball franchise, to lease Greer Stadium and begin upgrading the 30-plus-year-old ballpark.
The Council’s approval at a special meeting was needed to extend a lease that had been granted to the team’s departing owner, but which was due to expire December 31. The new lease allows MFP to stay in the stadium for up to five years, and it stipulates that the new owners will make some badly needed improvements.
While the lease leaves the new owners some latitude in prioritizing the improvements, they have stated that they intend to do repairs or upgrades to restrooms, concession stands, the scoreboard, the sound system and to damaged seats. There also are some life safety and handicapped access issues that MFP has agreed to address.
Contracts for the work are expected to be secured by next month, and construction will begin around Feb. 1.
“We hope to have as much of the work as is possible completed by opening day, which is April 9,” said MFP partner Frank Ward, who is buying the team along with Masahiro Honzawa and Steve Posner.
The ownership group will proceed with the work as it awaits final approval from the Pacific Coast League and from Major League Baseball for its acquisition of the Milwaukee Brewers minor league franchise. In all, at least $1.75 million will go into upgrades at Greer, the lease states.
The leagues are expected to issue their decision about MFP’s ownership by late January, Ward said, adding that settling the short-term stadium lease issue should help with the approval process.
“We appreciate Mayor Dean and the Council moving quickly to get this lease approved,” Ward said. “It will allow us to make significant progress before the 2009 season starts. This stadium is old and will never be a perfect environment. But we will do all we can to make it clean, safe and accessible. Hopefully, someday soon we can begin discussing a new ballpark, but for right now our focus is on Greer.”
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2 comments:
Thanks you so much to the new owners!! It is refreshing to know that something is going to get done to the stadium. I can't wait for the 2009 season. Welcome to Nashville and once again THANKS!!!
We look forward to bringing our family to the improved ballpark this summer. Our suggestions are:
keep it affordable for families and kids
fix the cracked seat bottoms
improve the concessions so the lines are shorter and you don't have to miss 2 innings to get a hot dog. We often skipped on getting food due to the long lines.
Keep Blackstones beer
Looking forward to the new season!
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