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Escondido’s Field of Dreams! |
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See Ballpark Plans Economic Development Report Our Survey of Comparable Ballpark Financing
Latest Developments The prospects for a minor league park in Escondido suffered a considerable blow when the California Supreme Court upheld the legislature's termination of redevelopment monies. See story from North County Times We should know soon whether there is any chance for the project to be kept alive through private investment. We still believe that it can be done! Behind the scenes, the Moorad group continues to pursue the ballpark plan and in fact will ask the Escondido city council for a clear commitment to approve the ballpark plan. See story from North County Times Although the article suggests that the proposal faces potential council opposition, it fails to mention that the private funding sources that will assist with the financing will basically keep the city's financial commitment equal to what the council has previously agreed to in principle. There is every reason to think that once they study the issue, the council will again agree with the overwhelming majority of Escondido residents who believe a minor league franchise and ballpark is a win, win, win for Escondido. The passage of the State Budget has resulted in a nearly fatal blow to Escondido's prospective ballpark because of the elimination of Redevelopment Districts. See story from North County Times The demise of Redevelopment Agencies is but another sad consequence of the budget woes that are affecting government everywhere these days. Over the years, the redevelopment programs have revitalized many of the state's formerly blighted urban areas into attractive places that people want to live in and visit. But when there is a prolonged downturn in the economy, the existing tax structure simply does not produce enough revenue to keep government operations afloat. Something has to give. This time it was redevelopment funds. Overall there is plenty of money in our state and country, especially at the upper end, to adequately fund public services but it cannot happen when a substantial number of voters and politicians resist any changes in the tax structure. Still, there is hope! Escondido remains the ideal location for a Triple A baseball franchise. We believe that a ballpark will be a catalyst to the emergence of Escondido as an attractive multi-cultural community. There is the possibility that private financing could be arranged. There is also the possibility that legal challenges to the termination of redevelopment funds could be successful. Keep visiting these pages for updates. Ballpark for Escondido Was at the Streetfair!
Our group of ballpark supporters spent Sunday keeping residents up-to-date on the prospects of Triple A baseball in Escondido. Over 500 North County residents joined many who have all ready signed our petitions to support the ballpark concept. We also asked them to help us get through the remaining political obstacles: 1) a Sacramento decision on the future of redevelopment funds and 2) overcoming the possible reluctance of the Mayor and city council members to approve the full agreement negotiated on behalf of the city. See text of our flyers Ballpark Project Awaits Possible State Changes to Redevelopment Funding
The ongoing state budget concerns now threaten to derail many urban development proposals which include the proposed Escondido ballpark. The council vote on the proposal which was scheduled for February has now been delayed to wait for further clarification of whether the redevelopment funding is still possible. Ballpark Passes Initial Big Hurdle With 4-1 Vote! The Escondido City Council took the biggest step yet toward approving our ballpark with a 4-1 vote in support of the the "Memorandum of Understanding" which had been negotiated between city officials and the ballpark investor group. It was a lively council meeting preceded by a rally of supporters. Ballpark for Escondido thanks all our supporters who attended and lent their voices and presence at this historic occasion. The game is hardly over, we have only reached the seventh inning stretch with a tight lead. Two of the support votes came with significant reservations regarding the financial details of the agreement which is scheduled to be finalized in February 2011. Nevertheless, the council support was sufficient to persuade the investor group to move forward with plans to purchase the Portland Beaver franchise with the intent of ultimately moving that franchise to Escondido.
See Press Accounts of the Council meeting and vote North County Times and San Diego Union Tribune both support the ballpark agreement. Key Provisions of the Ballpark Agreement: Ballpark
investors make concessions, City would keep more land; costs would be capped Nov.
30 ballpark vote officially delayed BallparkforEscondido
Releases Study Comparing Minor League Ballparks
See press release Election Results Jeopardize Ballpark Proposal The "informational workshop"
conducted by the Escondido City Council on the ballpark on the evening of
October 28 turned into something more - a forum for public comment on the
proposal. The bad news is that the comment was almost all negative. The city hall
chambers was only slightly more than half full and
many of the speakers seemed to come from a small group of naysayers
who oppose virtually all council initiatives. Nevertheless, the net effect was
an impression that the public was very skeptical about the proposal. See
the video of the council meeting. In response to the negative comments,
Councilwoman Diaz urged the ballpark supporters to provide the council with a
better measure of citizen attitude about the proposal. It is therefore very important that the
ballpark supporters who have left their comments on these pages to forward
their comments to the city council members. Here are their email addresses: lpfeiler@escondido.org ddaniels@escondido.org
mwaldron@escondido.org sabed@escondido.org
odiaz@escondido.org
Spruce Street site chosen for proposed ballpark November 30, 2010: City Council to Vote on Ballpark Agreement (the vote on the memorandum of understanding scheduled for October 13 and postponed to October 27 has been cancelled) See story from North County Times October 9, 2010: BallparkforEscondido participated in the Escondido Democratic Club's forum on the ballpark Click for video Links to all of the presentations September 23, 2010: Consultant for Ballpark Ownership Team Presents General Plan to Escondido Chamber of Commerce See story See the presentation September 22, 2010: Escondido City Council approves studies for ballpark feasibility See story Who we are: "Ballpark for Escondido" is an independent citizen group of North San Diego County residents supporting the concept of a Triple A team and baseball park in Escondido. We believe it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve the quality of life in our city. It will also be a source of city pride and will improve the economic condition of our city, especially in the long term. We are not affiliated with the San Diego Padres or the City of Escondido. See our Facebook page What we will do: We hope to be a vehicle for organizing the North County community, especially the athletic community, behind this project. We will update this web page as developments occur and, assuming that the ultimate plan is financially sound, we will vigorously urge the Escondido City Council to approve the construction of the ballpark. Please join our mailing list and we will keep you posted on future public meetings and activities. |
