Cal Ripken Jr wants multi-use stadium construction to start in fall 09

[nortonguy]

The sky is the limit in Augusta. 2009 and into the future.

[Augustabuckeye]

I hope this gets built. By using the facilities at the two baseball stadiums as well as ASU and USC-Aiken (and maybe some high schools), the Augusta area could market themselves as an option for northern college baseball teams that come south for Spring Training. You could market it to the very small Division I schools, but more likely would be a perfect fit for Division II or III.

As a transplanted yankee, I know how those teams in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, etc. would look forward to the warm weather.

[judgeme]

A stadium and a Tee center getting built on the same street. Atleast the tee center will have a parking garage.

[Augustabuckeye]

Judgeme - I would be surprised if the two venues would held events at the same time. Of course, we need to get them both built before we worry...

[lilmusket]

It looks like it wont get started this year. Apparantly I was right when I said I believed the legislature would have to approve the land transfer. The legislature wont convene until next year (Jan or Feb). Hopefully since it seems to have full backing of the Governor, it will sail through with no trouble. So it looks like construction won't begin until fall of 2010.

[lilmusket]

Originally Posted by Augustabuckeye

Judgeme - I would be surprised if the two venues would held events at the same time. Of course, we need to get them both built before we worry...

Apparantly some of you have not been following the progress of the TEE center. It is in trouble. There are NO blueprints for the facility. The architectural firm hired to design the project backed out, because they said it would be impossible to design a facility at the budget the city was providing. Only about $22 million was allocated for the project from SPLOST. The architectural firm said it would cost atleast twice that amount. So far no other architectural firm has been hired.. so the TEE center is in limbo. For this thing to get built, the city is going to have to figure out some way to come up with more money... SPLOST, TAD, whatever, but $22 million is not going to be enough to build the type of facility they want. So it looks like we could be looking at years before earth is ever turned on this project. City Administrator Fred Russel bears most of the blame for this... he lowballed the figures for its construction... maybe so it could be passed by voters... but in any case the amount allotted is woefully inadequate. can we please get a new city administrator???

[All4Augusta]

so where does this projrct stand as of June 2009? is it still ago?

[All4Augusta]

whats the difference between a convention center and something like a multi use facility?

[lilmusket]

There is still no financing plan aggreement for the TEE center. Until a new financing plan is approved by the commission with the new costs for the facility, it is essentially in limbo.