Greensboro Mayorial Candidate, George Hartzman, recently made a proposal for the renovation of Greensboro’s War Memorial Stadium, which has pretty much be fully ignored since the Grasshoppers left the stadium years ago. Despite the city’s assurances the park would not be allowed to deteriorate, without someone to champion the stadium, it has fallen into the poor shape it is in. (See Andy’s posts earlier this week.)
Here is Hartzman’s proposal (from his website.)
By converting the baseball field into a smaller little league baseball and softball field, while moving the tennis courts to make room for another field, a hotel and restaurant could fit in between the center field of the memorial ball park and the other.
The money from selling or leasing the land for the hotel and restaurant should cover the costs of fixing up the ballpark, building the other and moving the tennis courts.
As there are very few hotels in the area, which is close to downtown and A&T University, a hotel in an awesome location where Reggie Sanders, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Curt Schilling played, should keep it booked during the week.
Many amateur softball and baseball players and parents from out of town would love to play or watch their kids compete on a famous field.
Baseball and softball leagues could use the facility during the week in coordination with the Carolyn Allen complex, and on weekends, tournaments would fill the hotel and restaurant overlooking the center field of the oldest ballpark in North Carolina on one side, with rooms overlooking the other field on the other, without creating direct competition with the Grasshoppers’ profitability.
A tournament with 16 teams should bring in about 400 players and spectators within a mile of downtown, which will add to the vitality of businesses in the area.
Next thing you know, restaurants and other businesses would start opening up nearby, the farmers market would bring in more business, and home values in the area would rise.
This ballpark, which Robbie Perkins proposed to demolish, has been ignored just as much or more than the War Memorial Auditorium at the Coliseum.
We owe our veterans who gave their lives for our freedom.
Renovating this living monument is the right thing to do, and it would pay for itself.
Here is a video of his presentation before the city council.
It is very similar to proposals made over the years by the Aycock Historical District.
May be Hartzman is the champion the stadium needs.
Now this is creativity, vision and courage.
He forgot to include in his proposal the part where the NC A&T baseball program bends over and takes it?
Aggie wrote, “He forgot to include in his proposal the part where the NC A&T baseball program bends over and takes it?”
When NC A&T decides to step up and pay for the restoration of War Memorial Stadium you might have an argument but currently the stadium belongs to the taxpayers of the City of Greensboro. NC A&T is exempt from paying city taxes and therefore has no rights to the stadium.
The fact that A&T has used the stadium in the past means nothing if A&T is not willing to pay for the stadium’s historic restoration.
Now if I’ve misunderstood your comment please explain in terms that could be expected of a college graduate or at lease those of a high school graduate as your statement was ambiguous at the least.