Professional Baseball, Expanding Use Of Cannonsburgh, Would Bring New Life To Downtown Murfreesboro And Celebrate Both History And A New Team
(Murfreesboro) A year ago it seemed like a clash of history versus baseball. But now a group is seeking to combine and celebrate both, in a way to boost Downtown Murfreesboro.
A proposal last year to bring a professional baseball stadium to Mufreesboro was awkwardly handled by some in the city who mistakenly thought the facility could and should replace Cannonsburgh Village. The community said otherwise. Forcefully. The proposed team owner agreed and even signed the petition to save Cannonsburgh.
Out of that effort “Home Run History” was born. The leader of the Save Cannonsburgh effort, Lisa Cisco, is even leading this newly named group.
Home Run History has been advising the prospective owner to make sure any proposal would celebrate Cannonsburgh. Indeed, the main entrance to the sports complex could showcase Cannonsburgh, making it the front door of this multi-use facility. As a result, guests using the main entrance would have an opportunity to uniquely stroll through The Village prior to going to a baseball game, concert, or community event.
The facility would bring a professional baseball team to one of the best and largest communities in America that does not have one. The project could also become a major attraction for Murfreesboro, helping to revitalize downtown (like many other facilities have done in other parts of the country), and developing a key part of “The Bottoms” area that has struggled in recent years, including with a substantial homeless population.
The facility would be on city owned land adjacent and immediately west of Cannonsburgh Village, providing enough land for a ballpark.
An approximate 3,500-seat stadium would serve as a gathering space for the area with the ability to host concerts, church services, special events, and youth sports in addition to professional baseball. The result would be new business, tourism, and affordable recreation options for the community. Average baseball ticket prices during the summer would be about $12.
The new Murfreesboro team would be a part of the thriving American Association of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball (MLB), with teams in Fargo, Chicago, Winnipeg, Kansas City, Cleburne Texas, Lincoln, Gary, Sioux City, Kane County, Illinois, Sioux Falls, Lake Country (Oconomowoc) Wisconsin, and Milwaukee.
A renown architectural firm specializing in sports facilities, HKS, has been retained by the prospective franchise to design a unique facility that reflects the beauty and character of Mufreesboro, Cannonsburgh Village, and the inspiring site next to Cannonsburgh that includes a nearby watch tower, rail line, creek, all within a short walk of downtown.
Fred Ortiz, Global Practice Director of Sports & Entertainment and Partner at HKS said, “The ballpark is designed to weave the facility into the fabric of The Cannonsburgh Village without infringing on its historic elements. The site could be one of the most distinct in all of American baseball.”
Cisco said those designs would be released in October. To learn more, go to www.HomeRunHistory.com.
“A year ago, I took action to save Cannonsburgh. Now the focus is to showcase it and revitalize this beloved facility. ‘Home Run History’ seeks to do just that as it supports the creation of a true community gathering place for Murfreesboro,” said Home Run History Chair Lisa Cisco. “We are not asking our city council to do anything immediately or even in the short term. We are committed to a process as long as it takes to build community support and goodwill because we think the benefits and merits are that obvious and will become even more so over time. Other communities have found a way. So why not us? Ultimately, this facility would be a private/public endeavor All of this is why I am in the process of changing the Save Cannonsburgh Facebook page to Home Run History.” Cisco noted she once lived in one of Cannonsburgh’s homes, and currently lives downtown, which is why she is so passionate about the possibilities of fusing Cannonsburgh with a one-of-a-kind facility.
