COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) -- The Columbus City Council approved the intent to issue borrow up to $50 million for the complete overhaul of Golden Park, the city-owned baseball facility in the South Commons.
That vote came at a called council meeting Thursday morning.
Mayor Skip Henderson said the massive improvements to Golden Park are necessary to bring professional minor league baseball back to the city after a 15-year-hiatus.
Henderson said he had a firm commitment from a minor league baseball club to move into Golden Park, possibly as early as the start of the 2025 season, if Golden Park was overhauled. Henderson will not name the prospective club.
Henderson said he could not announce the name of the new team on Thursday, but it would be coming soon.
The new professional baseball team could trigger redevelopment to a large portion of the South Commons in and around Golden Park. Henderson said it could spark up to $350 million in private investment for retail, apartments, restaurants and a hotel.
Council met in a lengthy executive session on Dec. 12 to discuss a real estate matter. Three men went into the session with council – Heath Schondelmayer, chairman of the Development Authority of Columbus, Pace Halter, president of the W.C. Bradley Real Estate Division; and an unidentified third person.
Multiple sources told WRBL the man was with Diamond Baseball Holdings, a group that owns or controls more than 25 minor league teams across the nation and at all levels of pro ball.
Thursday Council met in closed session again before the vote. The reason was to discuss a real estate matter. Scholdelmayer, Halter and Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Jerald Mitchell were in that meeting.
The bond intent vote was the first step in which will be a multi-step public process to bringing a team into Golden Park.
Council would still have to approve a lease with the new ownership group. Then council would have to vote to issue the bonds. All of that could happen early next year.
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