Bowling Green Baseball Stadium

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Bowling Green Baseball Stadium is a minor league baseball stadium that is being built in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Contents

Funding for the Stadium

The stadium is being funded by the development of a "Signature TIF" which will divert $200 million of taxpayers money over 30 years to the development of downtown Bowling Green. The stadium is serving as one of the largest investments. Investor Art Solomon has pledged to buy a minor league affiliated team if the city will commit to building the stadium.[1],[2] Along with the baseball stadium the DRA intends to invest in a upscale hotel, a small conference center, an 800 space parking garage, shops, restaurants and apartments.

Economic viability

There have been questions about how economically viable the stadium will be in the future and whether there will be enough attendance to support the stadium.

Daniel Pike wrote in an article,

"It’s exciting, sure. But I’m not fully convinced that a decade from now we won’t have a formidable-looking but empty stadium. Especially considering how often teams at this level move around...My most recent point of reference is Springfield, Ill., a city of about 120,000 where I lived and worked for about three years. It’s a place where you can’t trip over a Cardinals fan without knocking over four Cubs supporters. It’s also a place where proper minor league baseball departed in the early 1990s. Since then, attempts to bring pro ball back have resulted in more false starts than a track meet."[3]

In April, WKU needed a nationally ranked University of Kentucky squad and a cheap-beer promotion to set an all-time attendance record of 3,057." Art Solomon's new stadium will have a capacity of 5,700, seating 86% more people than attended this record crowd at WKU's stadium.

See also:

References

  1. ↑ Bowling Green Daily News, New Taxes, old projects, June 16, 2007
  2. ↑ WBKO News, Bowling Green City Commission Decides To Issue TIF District Bonds, Feb. 7, 2008
  3. ↑ Peak:Pro baseball plan not guaranteed to be a hit,June 8, 2008
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