Ed Cone posts on the proposed sale of New Bridge Bank Park to the Grasshoppers:
Too bad everything the Bryan Foundation does is evil, because otherwise the idea of selling the nice stadium it built for Greensboro and presumably reinvesting that money in other good local projects would be laudable.
Private local ownership of the ballpark by the parties most interested in its continued success, recycling of philanthropic dollars…but, y’know, Jim Melvin, so let’s all hate this.
Turns out there’s always reason to be suspicious where Jim Melvin is involved. But the sale of the stadium to Grasshoppers owners is only a positive. The parent club Marlins are a strong franchise, the Hoppers front office is described here as one of the best in baseball. And the team looks strong this year, especially at home, where they’re 19-2.
This is the way it’s supposed to work—- everything falls into place without taxpayer funding. By the same token, the reason why JLF opposes taxpayer funding of stadiums is stadiums depreciate rapidly and seemingly are in need of upfit –witness the Greensboro Coliseum, for which the City Council just approved $24 million in renovations. (As for the padded seats, if I want to be comfortable while I’m watching a game, I stay home and watch it on TV.) And while there is some development around the stadium, it’s still slow, with no sign the economy’s turning around.
At some point New Bridge Bank Park will need upgrades, and I just hope Grasshoppers ownership won’t be forced to turn to the city for help.
