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Normal reaches terms for minor league baseball stadium
Council also purchasing Normal Masonic Temple
By Mary Ann Ford
mford@pantagraph.com
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NORMAL -- A Normal minor league baseball stadium and team took a step closer to reality Monday night when the City Council approved a binding “memorandum of understanding” between the town, Heartland Community College and Normal Professional Baseball LLC.

The council also approved the purchase of the Normal Masonic Temple, 120 N. Broadway, and agreed to invest $244,000 in the fraternal organization’s new building to be built at One Normal Plaza.

“If you dream, it’s entirely possible that something will happen that’s ideal,” said Councilman Adam Nielsen about the minor league team and stadium.

“We’re not just getting a $12 million stadium, it’s a community asset,” added Councilman Jeff Fritzen.

Under the terms of the memorandum, Normal Professional Baseball LLC, headed by Michael Veeck, will build a baseball stadium at Heartland Community College and develop a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Frontier League. Play would start in the 2010 season.

“It’s unprecedented to have private funding for the stadium,” said Fritzen.

Normal will be responsible for public improvements including a $1.5 million, 1,000 space parking lot. Heartland will provide a long-term land lease for $1 a year and contribute $3.5 million to the project. The stadium will include playing facilities for the college’s athletic teams.

The Heartland Community College board will consider the pact tonight.

“I believe this is a terrific community and a terrific deal,” said Veeck, who sold his interests in several teams affiliated with Major League Baseball so he could pursue this project.

While Veeck said he’s never embarked on a situation like this before, “If it operates the way we believe we can and historical do, we’ll earn your respect.”

Veeck said besides baseball, the stadium could host concerts, yard sales, rodeos, car shows and local youth sports. He said sharing the facility with Heartland is “not a problem.”

Masonic Temple

All but one council member, Chuck Scott, voted to purchase the Masonic Temple for $500,000 and invest $244,000 in the organization’s new building.

Scott said he could go along with purchasing the building for the $415,000 appraisal but did not think the town should pay more or invest in the lodge’s new building.

City Manager Mark Peterson said the lodge did not have the money to bridge the gap between what it would make on the sale of its current building and the $744,783 cost of a new building.

While other members said they understood Scott’s concerns, they were looking at the broader goal of obtaining the property for the uptown redevelopment. One Main Development of Champaign would like to incorporate the Mason’s building or use the site in its second planned mixed-use building.

“The overall picture is to help the total community,” said Councilwoman Sonja Reece.

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Reader comments on this story - 15 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

c.a.t.s. wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:03 PM:

" wheres the numbers on bloomingtons money pit. must be bad news to hold them back for so long. tom must be trying to come up with another lie to cover his backside.. "

mrw wrote on Jun 3, 2008 6:54 PM:

" This is not an asset, it is a liability on the ledger. It will only cost money and offers no hope to recoup any financial benifit for the investors, the taxpayer.
Regarding the Masons, taxpayer is screwed but good luck to them for a deal well negotiated, they must have gotten about $500 a square foot for an old worn out building. "

OGS wrote on Jun 3, 2008 4:10 PM:

" Why not eminent domain the Masonic Temple? Oh yeah that's right it's the Masons! More of the good old boy syndrome. They got a sweet deal in Bloomington too for the Cultural Center. Appraised at $415,000 the Masons benefit $744,000. Of course this aditional funding is courtesy off the backs of the taxpayers. Not good business sense in my mind. "

budbowl1903 wrote on Jun 3, 2008 3:11 PM:

" the only reason why things fail in this area is bc of the people who have such negative attitudes towards everything that comes here. these people dont get involved with the new ideas brought here. why do people travel to other towns with places like these...maybe bc we dont have it here!! i think it's a good idea about the stadium and glad it'll be here. i know i will be there watching games. "

tripper wrote on Jun 3, 2008 2:25 PM:

" Sniff, sniff. Do I smell taxpayer money being spent for private ventures?

The HCC Board LOVES to spend taxpayer money for non-education purposes, and now it appears the Town Of Normal is getting a bit too eager to throw taxpayer money into questionable efforts.

Let us remember this come election time. "

WorkinTheOpinionBoard wrote on Jun 3, 2008 1:57 PM:

" So, Normal is going to dump money into a "will fail" project, just like Bloomington did? WOOHOOO!!! "

The Cats wrote on Jun 3, 2008 12:51 PM:

" Private financing? Seems like $5 million plus a $1 per year lease on prime land is what the taxpayers are on the hook for. I guess Veek is getting a great deal. Glad I live in Bloomington where all we have to pay for is the Judy Dome. LOL at all of us...we get what we deserve I guess when it comes to our city government. BTW the Masons got a heck of a deal as well. The city paid over the actual value of the property according to what I read. "

seawolf wrote on Jun 3, 2008 12:25 PM:

" How great this is for BN & surrounding areas! I now live close to Indpls, and we have a AAA team. For years, best seat is $6, great baseball, and you will soon get it! The only bad thing is the "Ping of the bat", instead of "The crack of the bat". But. I guess only us old guy's remember that. "

Bloomington Resident wrote on Jun 3, 2008 11:42 AM:

" Heartland Community College is supposed to provide an affordable education to alternative students and those who cannot afford a traditional university. It is not supposed to invest 3.5 million in a minor league baseball stadium. All of us pay tax money to support Heartland. That money should be spent on computer labs and instructors. "

Marsh wrote on Jun 3, 2008 10:35 AM:

" Ekim, it looks like they did learn. It is privately funded and privately run. "

catlin64 wrote on Jun 3, 2008 9:01 AM:

" I am a person who was very skeptical at first but am now sold on this idea. Veeck brings not only a great track record of making his teams successful, but he brings something even more important. Instant credibility. Hats off to the Town of Normal, Heartland and the LLC for having the vision to put the deal together. "

Earthling wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:06 AM:

" This is a good thing. "

Ekim wrote on Jun 3, 2008 7:16 AM:

" Did they learn nothing from Bloomington? And of course One Main Development isn't going to use the existing building. It really is too bad Normal has to wipe anything of interest, or any scrap of identity for all this. "

just a thought 2 wrote on Jun 3, 2008 5:49 AM:

" a place for concerts? how many are needed, nice to see someone step up and contribute to the community, with a majority of their money. "

Occam wrote on Jun 3, 2008 4:27 AM:

" That Mr Veeck divested interests in other minor league teams to concentrate on this project speaks volumes. Like Mr. Fritzen, I think this will be a huge community asset. Like it or not, the key to its success will depend on whether beer will be sold. Does the lease of Heartland's land to the baseball group circumvent any law against alcohol sales on school property? "
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