City to help pay for study of donor, sponsor funding for potential new Regina Red Sox stadium

City council will spend approximately$30,000 to cover half the cost ofa study examining whether a new Regina Red Sox stadium can be funded through donors and sponsorships.

It's another attempt to get a project off the ground that has been discussed since at least 2021, when the Western Canadian Baseball League franchise first floated the idea.

Council rejected supporting a $100,000 study on the proposed baseball stadiumin 2021.

In 2023, a new stadium was rejected as a catalyst project due to the "seasonal nature" of the space.

The Regina Red Sox currently play at Currie Field, a stadium thatis more than 60 years old and in need of repair, with one of the men leading the charge for a new field calling it "decrepit."

"There's an opportunity hereto not kick the can down the road but to pick the ball up and run with it in a tangible way," said Alan Simpson, founder of Living Sky Sports Entertainment Inc., which has partnered with the Red Sox on getting a new stadium off the ground.

On Wednesday council approved a plan to fund the study in an 8-2 vote,with only Ward 8 Coun. Shanon Zachidniak and Ward 6 Coun. Dan LeBlancvoting against the motion put forward by MayorSandra Masters.

Masters told media after the council meeting that she had been approached by Simpson as well asWard 2 Coun. Bob Hawkins aboutbringing the motion to council.

The creation of a new stadium aligns with the City of Regina's master plans for parks and recreation, the mayor said.

"When there is a possibility of partnership for things that we know are aged and at end of life, or close to end of life we [should] seize those opportunities and move them forward in the best, most responsible way we can," said Masters.

How it will work

Wednesday's vote means council has directed administration to enter into a long-term lease agreement with the Regina Red Sox for Currie Field.

Negotiations on a long-term lease were already ongoing, but the direction from council is to have the lease "acknowledge" that the Red Sox will be reimbursed for capital costs required to upgrade the stadium.

The City of Regina will also fund half the cost of astudyto be conducted byDCG Philanthropic.

The "case for support" study will look for potential sources for donations, sponsorships and philanthropic funds to help pay for the stadium. The aim is to get more than $5 million committed through donations.

If the support meets or exceeds thattarget,the City of Regina will provide a minimum investment of $2.5 million, spread out over a period of 10 years, with 10 equal payments of $250,000 per year.

Further financial investment could be on the table, with the motion specifying up to $10 million in support.

The financial commitments are subject to council's approval of thecase for support studymeaning the City of Regina is not locked in on funding the construction of a new stadium.

"This is not a motion about building a baseball field, it's a motion about creating an opportunity to explore the possibility of building a baseball field," said Coun.Hawkins.

Masters said that study is likely to be finished by September andwill not be discussed by this city council, meaning it'll likely be on the agenda for whoever is on council after the municipal election in November.

One of the requirements in the motion is that the new stadium be built on the former Taylor Field lands or on The Yards, a piece of land located betweenCasino Reginaand Dewdney Avenue that has sat empty since CP Rail moved its rail yardin 2012.

Issues with current home, team says

The baseball franchise says there are a number of issues with itscurrent home, including:

• The field's washroom facilities operate off a septic tank system that cannot keep up with park usage.
• Currie Field's 1,200-person capacity is too small, and current bleachers are not up to code.
• The dimensions of the right field do not meet Baseball Canada's standards.
• Substandard infrastructure, including theconcession, backstop, fencing and ticketing infrastructure.
• A single dressing room forboth teams.

Those issues must be addressed orthe Red Soxcould be suspended from the Western Major Baseball League, the team says.

Simpson insisted that if a newfacility is built, it would serve the community on the nights it is not being used by the team.