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Prep Roundup
Columnists Brian Meadows Brad NormanMembersLocal Connection› Iredell County Young Athletes Association› South Iredell Athletics Association › SHS athletics › WIHS athletics › NIHS athletics › SIHS athletics › LNHS athletics Syndicate RSSAP NASCAR NASCAR Features A look at this year's schedule A look at this year's drivers Differences between stock car and open-wheel racing NASCAR Research & Development Petty Enterprises splitter testing Aerodynamic testing in Concord's wind tunnel Top 10 moments in Daytona history Site StatisticsThis page has been viewed 801745 timesPage rendered in 0.1940 seconds Total Stories: 2136 Total Comments: 34 Most Recent Entry: 08/15/2008 01:53 pm Most Recent Comment on: 04/17/2008 11:54 pm Most Recent Visitor on: 05/23/2012 05:07 pm |
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2007 Sep-20
Winston preps for new ballparkBy Bertrand M. Gutierrez A small army of backhoes, bulldozers and dump trucks are making tough work look easy, leveling steep, kudzu-lined slopes to clear the site of Winston-Salem’s planned downtown baseball stadium. Wanda Merschel, the member of the Winston-Salem City Council who represents the area where the stadium is being built, said she saw the machines this week working along the northeast edge of Business 40 and Peters Creek Parkway. “They still had those little Tonka toys out there (Tuesday) night when I went by,” Merschel said yesterday. She was so moved by all the dirt that has been moved that she called the project manager, Joe Bellissimo, to find out the status of the planned $22.6 million ballpark. Demolition of houses and a church in the neighborhood has come and gone, and the heavy machines are grading now. Bellissimo could not be reached for comment, but Merschel said that the bulldozers will probably continue to push dirt until late October. Construction could start in mid- or late November. At that pace, the 5,500-seat ballpark will probably be ready for the Winston-Salem Warthogs by the time the 2009 season starts - weather permitting. “It really has altered that whole area,” Merschel said. The demolition on Watkins Street and Granville Drive began last month after the Winston-Salem City Council rezoned the land for the ballpark and an adjoining mixed-use area of stores, residences and offices. The ballpark project, which will be financed in part by a $25.4 million commitment by the city and $12.5 million from Forsyth County, is the largest incentive deal that the city has taken on. The project overcame some resistance by residents who said that public money should not be used for a stadium. Under the agreement, Billy Prim, a co-owner of the Winston-Salem Warthogs, will own the stadium, and reap the profits, for at least 25 years. Here’s the breakdown of. the city’s $25 million contribution. The city has agreed to pay Prim up to $8 million in grants over 25 years based on new property taxes generated by the project’s second phase - the stores, offices and residences. The city has agreed to pay $12 million for site preparation, including the demolition and grading work that has been done. Because the money has to be borrowed, the real cost over 20 years of financing will come out to $17.4 million. No public money has changed hands yet for the project, but that will happen. soon. Paige said that Prim and lawyers for the city are drawing up the final agreement. After that happens, the city will start paying $1 million a month for a year. Bookmarkz |
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