Time for city to step up to the plate

Bill Hausrath / News Virginian
Published: March 23, 2008

I have read with interest the articles about building a professional baseball stadium in Waynesboro. A March 18 editorial ("Ballpark needs council's support") in The News Virginian suggested that it was up to City Hall to move the idea along. The city's role is to respond to the idea presented and structure a response that shows we are open for business but thoughtful about our future.

So what do we, as a city, need to do with the stadium idea- The initial proposal must come from the supporters of the stadium project. The initial level of support from the city should be in direct proportion to the benefits that could be expected versus the investment required. As proposed, the project is financially large. The city should expect to both reap big benefits and to invest substantial sums. Rewards come from being willing to take risks. If our city is serious about a big project, it must be willing to invest in the initial exploration of the idea. Decisions about further city investment will be made as project feasibility is developed.

The stadium idea generates lots of initial questions. Where will it be located- How much land does it take up- Who owns that land- What is the estimated construction cost- What is the financing plan- What is the operational business plan- How much of the cost of building and operating is expected from the city- What is the economic benefit of a ballpark- What are the social benefits- Do we create a Ballpark Commission- How much city funding will it need- There is lots of information to gather and process.

As far as I know, no one in our city has developed a professional ballpark or stadium. This means that the advocates will face a steep learning curve. If the idea moves forward, they will need help from sports facility professionals, and volunteers from other communities that have developed successful similar projects. 

The questions and the answers will change as a project is developed — that is just the way things work — so we as citizens should expect the Ballpark Commission to have a learning curve. We should respect their desires to make a positive contribution to our city and give them the opportunity and time to work through the exploration. 

At the same time, the City Council should propose what they think is needed in order to move forward. If they want city staff to take a role in the development, then there needs to be funding and personnel assigned. The cost should be included in the coming budget in order to allow for public comment.

Big ideas require big amounts of time, money, enthusiasm and persistence to become the realities envisioned. As Americans we are good at making realities of ideas. I'd like for Waynesboro to be really good at making big ideas into realities. If there is support and leadership for the idea, then let's take a swing at it.

Bill Hausrath, of Waynesboro, is a real estate agent and chairman of the Wayne Theatre Alliance.