City Council Approves $50K for Stadium Study

City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved spending $50,000 to "evaluate options regarding the establishment of a minor league baseball team in the City of Fredericksburg."  City Manager Bev Cameron requested the funds for the evaluation. 

"City staff has advised that additional funding is needed to properly evaluate the proposal by engaging bond counsel, financial advisors, and other outside consultants with subject matter expertise," Amanda Lickey, city budget manager, said in a memo to Cameron.  The budget amendment approves the use of the general fund contingency.

The Hagerstown Suns, a Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are being courted by Fredericksburg.  The teams' player-development contract with the parent club expires at the end of the 2014 season.  At issue is the 82-year-old Municipal Stadium.  The Suns no longer want to play there.

Current discussions in Fredericksburg are reportedly for the Suns to provide the city $3 million for land in Celebrate Virginia, and the city then to issue up to $30 million in bonds to build a 5,000 seat multi-use stadium.

Virginia Deputy Attorney General Richard F. Neel Jr. ruled June 6 that a special tax district can be formed in Fredericksburg to help fund a stadium.

Hagerstown Councilman Lewis C. Metzner told the Herald-Mail last week Hagerstown might be close to forging its own deal to keep the Suns. 

“We have to find out whether [Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn] wants to sit down and attempt to negotiate a lease with us immediately,” he told the paper.  "The Suns’ owner might decide that he wants to talk exclusively with Fredericksburg or negotiate with both areas simultaneously to find the best deal for his team."

Related Stories:

City Conducting Study for $25M Stadium

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