The City of Aberdeen may not need to sell Ripken Stadium, as it has tried to do for nearly a year, the city manager said Monday.
City Manager Doug Miller expressed optimism that the stadium, a source of debt for the city since its construction in 2001, may finally start attracting the business around it the city initially thought it would. He said there has been “renewed enthusiasm” from developers since County Executive David Craig and three other county officials attended a Las Vegas retail convention about a month ago.
The city is entering the upcoming fiscal year, starting July 1, with a $311,000 debt because of the stadium, home to the Aberdeen Ironbirds Minor League baseball team, Miller said.
Every year except one since 2001, the stadium has cost the city at least $250,000, he previously told The Examiner, even though all 6,000 seats have sold out every game since the inaugural 2002 season.
A center with restaurants, movie theaters and retail was originally planned for the area around the stadium but never materialized. Those businesses would compensate the debt with property and admissions and amusement taxes.
“So the original plan, while good, was just delayed, and it may not be delayed anymore,” Miller said. “So it may be one of those things where we go back to plan A.”
However, no plans have been submitted yet, and Miller cautioned that “come January, we may be having this conversation again.”
Councilwoman Ruth Elliott was not sure incoming businesses would be similar to those first planned, admitting the city made mistakes because of inexperience with such large venues. But she said the city learned from those mistakes.
“This is basically the only valuable thing we have left,” she said. “We don?t want to jump too soon. It?s like the stock market.”
Elliott said if a buyer could get the city out of debt, she would not oppose selling. Ripken Baseball spokesman John Maroon said his organization would still be open to helping Aberdeen as the most logical buyer.
