LOWELL — The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to promote LeLacheur Park to the UMass Building Authority for $1 million. When full, the deal, which has been months within the making, will switch possession of the stadium to UMass Lowell.
Terms embody promoting the park in “as is… in its existing condition.” If sooner or later within the subsequent 10 years UMass decides to promote the property, town can train the choice to buy it.
City Manager Tom Golden mentioned the total settlement is out there on town’s web site, and praised all of the companions within the mission who labored to make the deal occur.
“Newly appointed UMass Chancellor Julie Chen has been an excellent partner,” Golden mentioned. “President (Marty) Meehan was one of the individuals who helped put this whole deal together.”
He additionally thanked the councilors for his or her persistence in pursuing the negotiations.
“I’d like to say thank you to all who continued to weigh in to make this a better proposal for the residents in the city of Lowell,” Golden mentioned.
The deal requires UMass to speculate $3 million within the ballpark over the following 5 years. The aim is to shut on the acquisition quickly, Golden mentioned.
“In the event that we have to move this through the Legislature, time is of the essence and we have to move fairly quickly,” he mentioned.
The deal mirrors the one town made with UMass in 2009, when it transferred possession of the Tsongas Arena to the college, which dedicated to renovating and repairing the ability.
The baseball park, which is positioned on the banks of the Merrimack River, opened in 1998. It was constructed by means of the efforts of then-State Rep. Edward LeLacheur who secured the funding for the ballpark that bears his title.
For a long time, the stadium was dwelling to the Lowell Spinners, a part of Minor League Baseball’s New York-Penn League, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Spinners performed to sold-out crowds within the practically 5,000-seat park. It can also be dwelling to the UMass Lowell River Hawks baseball staff.
The Spinners didn’t play any video games in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. That December, Major League Baseball restructured its Minor League Baseball relationship, and the variety of minor league groups was decreased from 160 to 120. The Spinners didn’t make the ultimate lower, and the Red Sox dropped the staff as its affiliate.
When they have been taking part in, the Spinners paid town roughly $180,000 to make use of the stadium. The staff additionally maintained the sector and staffed the ability. All that income and help disappeared with the Spinners, leaving town with mounting upkeep and restore prices.
“We were talking about a $4-6 million debt over there,” Councilor Erik Gitschier mentioned earlier than the vote, however after the chief session through which the council mentioned “negotiations relative to LeLacheur Baseball Stadium.”
“It’s a facility we simply couldn’t afford,” he mentioned. “This agreement is in the best interests of the city and the taxpayers.”
Councilor Daniel Rourke referenced the lengthy negotiations that finally yielded the result, and he congratulated Golden and his staff for making it occur.
“From where we were 18 months ago, to this deal that we have right now, is a huge victory both for the city and the university,” Rourke mentioned. “It will take care of all the debt we have left on the park. This is a huge benefit to Lowell and taxpayers.”
Councilor Paul Ratha Yem was extra succinct, saying that, “As a city, we are not in the business of owning a baseball field.”
For a very long time, although, town was within the enterprise of proudly owning the ballpark, which offered income and leisure for the Greater Lowell neighborhood. The councilors expressed hope that UMass might show to be a extra persuasive presence in wooing again skilled baseball to the park.
That was the view expressed by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan. The congresswoman beforehand organized a Save the Spinners job pressure, which targeted consideration on returning skilled baseball to LeLacheur Park.
Moments after the council’s vote to authorize the switch of LeLacheur Park to UMass, her workplace launched an announcement that “tonight’s vote by the Council gets us one critical step closer to the long overdue return of professional baseball to the City of Lowell.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com