For Gwinnett, it’s back to the minors

I am a Gwinnettian. Though technically not a native (I lived in Dekalb County for my first four years), I have lived in Gwinnett virtually my entire life. If I did not have a soft spot for my county, I would not have bought my first home here nor would I invest my time to publish the Buzz. That being said, once I step foot outside of Georgia, I am an Atlantan. Someone in Alabama or Florida neither knows nor cares where Gwinnett is but they sure know Atlanta. In fact, even here in our own city, the concept of “Atlanta native” is far more commonly heard than “ native.” The point is this:as much as I care about Gwinnett County, Gwinnett is simply a part of the whole that is Atlanta which is a top tier U.S. and - and by virtue of the 1996 Olympics - international city. However, last night, with the first home game of the Gwinnett Braves, our county symbolically took a step back from this illustrious association.

For my entire life, Atlanta has been a major league city, home to a minimum of three major professional sports teams at any given time. Unfortunately, Gwinnett apparently thought being part of such a city was not sufficient and, as such, decided to hitch its wagon to a minor league horse. In doing so, Gwinnett has attempted to more closely identify itself with second-tier cities such as Durham, NC, Louisville, KY, Norfolk, VA, and Syracuse, NY. For these cities, a AAA minor league baseball is a big deal for they do not have the luxury of being home to a major league franchise and all that brings. So, what can a minor league baseball team bring to Gwinnett County? Do our county commissioners, who shoved the stadium deal down taxpayers’ throats, fancy themselves as “mayors” of a twin “city” to Atlanta? Surely not! Gwinnett is hardly Ft. Worth to Atlanta’s Dallas. Gwinnett has many positive aspects, but it is merely a suburban county whose identity is largely tied to being a part of a city such as Atlanta. Unlike for a city seeking a major league sports franchise, a minor league team can bring little cachet to Gwinnett County. Thus, the only significant benefit that the Gwinnett Braves can bring to our county is simply that of another entertainment option.

While being an entertainment outlet is not a wholly unworthy cause for an organization’s existence, this benefit is significantly degraded when one recalls how the team’s stadium was shoved down Gwinnett taxpayers’ throats. Gwinnett County cannot build a police precinct or a school without a referendum on the tax initiative to fund such projects. However, Gwinnett commissioners committed the taxpayer to an excessive investment for Gwinnett Stadium with a mere commission vote. This expenditure looks all the more foolhardy in light of a looming tax increase due to the inability of the commission to balance the county budget. This is precisely the kind of fiscal irresponsibility on the part of elected officials that tea parties across the country are protesting. Maybe the next Atlanta Tea Party should be in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center!

So when the G(overnment-funded) Braves took the field last night at the sparkling Gwinnett (Taxpayers’) Stadium, rather than being a great moment for Gwinnett, it was a moment to memorialize government taxpayer abuse and to lament the symbolic downgrade of our county from part of a world class city to a second-tier minor league community. For Gwinnett, April 17, 2009 will be the day that Gwinnett County was sent back to the minors.

Minor League Baseball wants progress on stadium plan

Before a Class AA franchise in Connecticut can be moved to Richmond, Minor League Baseball says it wants to see firm evidence that the city will get a new ballpark.
Tim Purpura, Minor League Baseball's executive vice president, said this week that the organization, which oversees all minor leagues affiliated with Major League Baseball, wants a sense of "what commitment is made by the municipalities involved, and some rudimentary idea of the leasing arrangements" before allowing relocation.
A group of Richmond investors is working to acquire the Class AA Eastern League franchise in Norwich, Conn., and move it to Richmond for the 2010 season. However, a $60 million ballpark -- proposed by Highwoods Properties as part of a $363 million development, Shockoe Center -- has not been approved by the city.
The Eastern League president, Joe McEacharn, said a relocation application must be submitted by August for an Eastern League franchise to be in a new locale for 2010. The August deadline is for scheduling, marketing and sales purposes, he said.
"At the present time, we have no relocation applications submitted to us," McEacharn said. "If a relocation application were to be filed, and I want to reiterate that none has been, the facility, as well as lease terms and long-term viability are all factors that are investigated and reviewed, prior to making any decisions on relocation applications."
The league's timetable coincides with an Aug. 1 deadline for Mayor Dwight C. Jones' administration to sign a letter of intent to move forward with the Shockoe Center development. City officials continue to study the proposal and are planning to hire a consultant to review the project's finances and other aspects, said Tammy Hawley, Jones' press secretary.
The House of Delegates and the state Senate have voted to approve House Bill 1803, proposed by Del. G. Manoli Loupassi, R-Richmond, which would use a portion of sales-tax proceeds to pay for a Richmond ballpark that's part of Shockoe Center.
The legislation would designate 2.5 percent of the sales-tax collections derived from the stadium -- and the development it spawns -- toward paying the bonds to finance the construction.
A companion bill, Senate Bill 1021, sponsored by Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, has passed the Senate and now is in committee.
A group of Shockoe Slip business owners has asked lawmakers to refer the bills back to committee out of concern that they might allow private facilities to be financed with public bonds.
"At a time when our economy is in a major recession, tax dollars should not be spent to fund the so-called private facilities," the group wrote in a letter to lawmakers. "In addition, private business in the city should not be placed at a disadvantage due to a special financing vehicle provided by the commonwealth."
The group includes representatives of The Tobacco Company Restaurant, the Omni Richmond Hotel, Richbrau Brewing Company, and Sam Miller's Restaurant.
Several sources identified the Norwich franchise as the one Richmond Baseball Club LC is attempting to purchase for about $15 million. If the deal is completed next month as expected, Richmond Baseball Club LC would operate the franchise in Norwich this season with the intention of moving it to Richmond for 2010.
"Certainly the Eastern League has significant interest in the Richmond market," the Eastern League's McEacharn said. "It was host for a Triple-A team [the Richmond Braves] -- a very successful one for a number of years. It's got great demographics."
There are no Class AAA franchises for sale in the International League, which is why the Richmond investment group is targeting Class AA.
"There's a reason there are no Triple-A teams available," said Bryan Bostic, chairman of the Richmond group. "The reason is they have [new ballparks]. We don't."
A Class AA franchise sale to Bostic's group could be announced soon after Minor League Baseball secures a Class A franchise for Norwich. That franchise would start play in Norwich in 2010, so that community would have uninterrupted professional baseball.
The Class AA franchise in Norwich is affiliated with the San Francisco Giants in an agreement that extends through the 2010 season