Skip to main content

Phoenixville Baseball Committee Formed

Fresh on the heels of his proposal to develop Lot O of the Steel Site, Manny DeMutis has taken another step towards reviving the now dormant land. He, along with Barry Cassidy, have formed the Phoenixville Baseball Committee, a group 'of civic leaders determined to build a 3,800-seat ballpark on a portion of the 120-acre tract that was once home to the former Phoenix Iron Works company.'

From today's Inquirer:
DeMutis has enlisted the help of 20 local business owners, residents, and borough officials to assess the feasibility of reinvigorating the old steel site with a ballpark.

They hope to be more successful than a similar group that tried to bring a ballpark to West Chester. That effort came to naught earlier this month when West Chester Borough Council rejected the project as too costly.

There remain many hurdles to cross before the Phoenixville project is more than a developer's dream, but the work begins Wednesday when the committee meets for the first time. It will lay the groundwork for costing out and planning the project. DeMutis says the committee will also focus on finding a team to call the park home.

Among the unresolved questions is who will foot the bill - the public, corporate sponsors, or a combination?

There is also the issue of competition. Just a 45-minute drive along Route 422 in Berks County is First Energy Stadium, home of the Reading Phillies. The Phillies farm club attracts 450,000 patrons a year, according to Tommy Viola, director of public and media relations.

Read the full article at Philly.com.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Several Local Businesses Closing Up Shop

Over the next couple of months, three local businesses will be closing their doors. On Saturday, February 16th, Polka Dots will be closing their store at 246 Bridge Street. The shop, a women's clothing boutique, opened nearly two and a half years ago but has recently found business slow. --- Originally, (owner Susan) Randels said that the store was doing well, but that the momentum could not keep up. "The things that sold in Paoli didn't sell in Phoenixville," she said, adding that some customers thought that the store was too expensive or the sizing did not go high enough (size 12 being the highest size sold). "We tried everything." Randels also said that parking was an issue for many of her customers who could either not find spaces or did not feel safe parking behind the store. --- Polka Dots remains open until the 16th, with hours on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The phone number is 610-935-5914. Clothing and shoes a...
46 comments
Read more

Barry Cassidy Addresses Downtown Rumors

Today's Phoenix ran an article written by Barry Cassidy in which he addressed the various rumors that have been circulating regarding the immediate futures of several local businesses. He paints a much rosier picture than some of the comments here would have you believe. From the article: --- On Monday someone came in and told me Molly Maguire's was closing. I knew that was not correct because they are expanding, not closing. Then about 20 minutes after than I heard from someone else that 101 was closing and the building was going to become a McDonalds. I knew that was not correct either. Marietu' Fanny from the crepe joint at Bridge and Gay called me and was upset that she heard someone at the business association meeting say she was closing... She went on to tell me that they were doing well... Then I heard probably the most outrageous rumor of all... Ellie's Choice is closing. Now think about this one, folks. Here, Ellie has been here for a long time, she was here ...
51 comments
Read more