McHenry County Blog

The team was named the “CornBelters.“

Nice play on words.

The “Corn Crib” is what the stadium will be called.

I wonder if it will be decorated like South Dakota’s Corn Palace. It’s covered with murals made out of corn cobs. One local told us it was “the world’s biggest bird feeder.”

How’s construction going?

“Concrete has been set around home plate for the sitting bowl, from which fans will be able to view all the action of the CornBelters Baseball excitement front and center.“The outfield is starting to take shape for its players, while the field surface is being laid into place. The first and third base side dugouts have been installed and will begin forming the outer line of the dugout for the CornBelters, as well as their opposing teams.

“The concourse is also starting to look warm and inviting for all the CornBelters’ fans to enjoy.“

The name of the team mascot?

Corny.

You can find more on the team here.

McHenry County College’s location for baseball stadium, of course, is still a corn field.

The first home game in Normal is scheduled for May 21st.

That’s the month baseball promoter Pete Heitman wanted his team to start playing at MCC.

No construction has begun on the replacement Woodstock site across from Centegra Hospital.

There are two items that might be of interest to McHenry County leaders still pursuing a baseball stadium.

First, most Frontier Baseball League teams had fewer fans per game this past summer than previously.

Even though ten of eleven had more home games, six of eleven still saw a decrease in total attendance.

Take a look at the attendance figures below:

Click to enlarge the table.

Of the 3 teams that saw an increase in average attendance,
River City is still down 43% from its all-time attendance high (185,333 in 2004)
Kalamazoo is still down 39% from its all-time attendance high (135,654 in 2004).

The relevance to McHenry County is seen when one sees the attendance projections in ERA’s report of baseball stadium promoter Pete Heitman’s proposal:

+10% year 2
+6.1% year 3
+5.7% year 4
+5.4% year 5

On a more optimistic note for a project that I’ve been told that will be privately financed, Bloomington-Normal’s WJVC radio reported Friday that financing for the one to be built at Heartland Community College was proceeding well.

Eight of fourteen stadium suites have been sold and four major sponsors secured.

The $11.5 million stadium is expected to be completed by March 2010.

McHenry County College made a run at constructing a taxpayer-financed baseball stadium, but ran into too much opposition.

The McHenry County Community Foundation has been actively investigating the privately-financed option.

There are two items that might be of interest to McHenry County leaders still pursuing a baseball stadium.

First, most Frontier Baseball League teams had fewer fans per game this past summer than previously.

Even though ten of eleven had more home games, six of eleven still saw a decrease in total attendance.

Take a look at the attendance figures below:

Click to enlarge the table.

Of the 3 teams that saw an increase in average attendance,
River City is still down 43% from its all-time attendance high (185,333 in 2004)
Kalamazoo is still down 39% from its all-time attendance high (135,654 in 2004).

The relevance to McHenry County is seen when one sees the attendance projections in ERA’s report of baseball stadium promoter Pete Heitman’s proposal:

+10% year 2
+6.1% year 3
+5.7% year 4
+5.4% year 5

On a more optimistic note for a project that I’ve been told that will be privately financed, Bloomington-Normal’s WJVC radio reported Friday that financing for the one to be built at Heartland Community College was proceeding well.

Eight of fourteen stadium suites have been sold and four major sponsors secured.

The $11.5 million stadium is expected to be completed by March 2010.

McHenry County College made a run at constructing a taxpayer-financed baseball stadium, but ran into too much opposition.

The McHenry County Community Foundation has been actively investigating the privately-financed option.

While McHenry County College tried to convince local taxpayers that Pete Heitman’s baseball stadium would pay for itself and even subsidize construction of other facilities, no one who looked at the deal was convinced.

The 20-year bonds were to be repaid by taxpayers, if the team went belly up.

That’s not what is happening in McLean County.

True, the city of Normal is ponying up “a $1.5 million, 1,000 space parking lot,” according to Pantagraph reporter Mary Ann Ford.

You will remember that the City of Crystal Lake was not willing to pop for a dime of the cost of the MCC baseball stadium infrastructure improvements, even though Mayor Aaron Shepley led the cheer leading after the stadium proposal’s existence was revealed to the public on McHenry County Blog.

The junior college in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area—Heartland Community College—is contributing “a long-term land lease for $1 a year and contribute $3.5 million to the project.“

The college was planning on spending about that much anyway on a new sports complex.

But the rest of the $12 million stadium is going to be

Let me repeat that fact.

by bid winner Mike Veeck’s investment group.

There were two other bidders, including, I’ve been told a Pete Heitman group.

You can pretty much bet that Heitman wanted a bigger subsidy.

Heitman is the baseball promoter that the McHenry County Community Foundation has hooked up with.

While McHenry County College tried to convince local taxpayers that Pete Heitman’s baseball stadium would pay for itself and even subsidize construction of other facilities, no one who looked at the deal was convinced.

The 20-year bonds were to be repaid by taxpayers, if the team went belly up.

That’s not what is happening in McLean County.

True, the city of Normal is ponying up “a $1.5 million, 1,000 space parking lot,” according to Pantagraph reporter Mary Ann Ford.

You will remember that the City of Crystal Lake was not willing to pop for a dime of the cost of the MCC baseball stadium infrastructure improvements, even though Mayor Aaron Shepley led the cheer leading after the stadium proposal’s existence was revealed to the public on McHenry County Blog.

The junior college in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area—Heartland Community College—is contributing “a long-term land lease for $1 a year and contribute $3.5 million to the project.“

The college was planning on spending about that much anyway on a new sports complex.

But the rest of the $12 million stadium is going to be

Let me repeat that fact.

by bid winner Mike Veeck’s investment group.

There were two other bidders, including, I’ve been told a Pete Heitman group.

You can pretty much bet that Heitman wanted a bigger subsidy.

Heitman is the baseball promoter that the McHenry County Community Foundation has hooked up with.

Comparing the deal being negotiated by Heartland Community College in the Bloomington-Normal part of Illinois, it certainly looks like it.

Randy Reinhardt of the Bloomington Pantagraph writes that Mike Veeck’s Frontier League team is recommended for the nod.

OK.

Same league.

A deal with a junior college.

What was the offer?

The stadium in the heart of Illinois will cost $12 million.

MCC’s was pegged at $10 million, maybe more, but that’s the figure the Crystal Lake college started with.

3,000 to 3,500 chair-back seats in Normal. 2,000 more possible in picnic area.

3,000 bleacher seats were proposed for MCC’s.

“Heartland would contribute $3.5 million it already has set aside for athletic facilities, and Veeck’s ownership team would pay for the rest. The town of Normal would contribute sales tax rebates and infrastructure costs,”

the article says.

I don’t remember the Crystal Lake City Council’s being willing to contribute anything.

Of course, we don’t know how the baseball promoter will come up with his money. Maybe his arrangement with Heartland will be as flaky as the one agreed upon by the McHenry County College Board.

But, maybe there will be a stop-loss of $3.5 million, that is, maybe the college board will be smart enough to make Veeck’s company pay for anything over that amount.

The college was planning to spend $3.5 million on a new stadium anyway.

We’ll see.

Comparing the deal being negotiated by Heartland Community College in the Bloomington-Normal part of Illinois, it certainly looks like it.

Randy Reinhardt of the Bloomington Pantagraph writes that Mike Veeck’s Frontier League team is recommended for the nod.

OK.

Same league.

A deal with a junior college.

What was the offer?

The stadium in the heart of Illinois will cost $12 million.

MCC’s was pegged at $10 million, maybe more, but that’s the figure the Crystal Lake college started with.

3,000 to 3,500 chair-back seats in Normal. 2,000 more possible in picnic area.

3,000 bleacher seats were proposed for MCC’s.

“Heartland would contribute $3.5 million it already has set aside for athletic facilities, and Veeck’s ownership team would pay for the rest. The town of Normal would contribute sales tax rebates and infrastructure costs,”

the article says.

I don’t remember the Crystal Lake City Council’s being willing to contribute anything.

Of course, we don’t know how the baseball promoter will come up with his money. Maybe his arrangement with Heartland will be as flaky as the one agreed upon by the McHenry County College Board.

But, maybe there will be a stop-loss of $3.5 million, that is, maybe the college board will be smart enough to make Veeck’s company pay for anything over that amount.

The college was planning to spend $3.5 million on a new stadium anyway.

We’ll see.

Bids.

McHenry County residents never heard that word in connection with the minor league baseball stadium that McHenry County College’s board of trustees tried to foist on us taxpayers.

But that word is in the first sentence of Bloomington Pantagraph reporter Randy Reinhardt’s article about Tuesday’s Heartland Community College board meeting.

Consultant Mike Thiessen says they came in “right at the sweet spot.”

How refreshing that a junior college minor league baseball stadium consultant might be looking out for the best interests of the college, rather than looking out for the best interests of his buddy, a baseball promoter.

There are three stadium bids to seat 3,500 to 4,500 (expansion possibilities to 6,000) costing $10 to 11.5 million.

College President Jon Astroth says the $1.7 million Heartland had intended to spend on its own sports facility could be used to subsidize the minor league effort. Or, even more, since the college stadium came in at $3.3 million—way, way over the expected price.

“Visible stunned,” is the way Peoria Journal-Star reporter Steve Stein put it.

And if it costs more?

“They have no place to pass the cost to. It’s a private entity. And there will be opportunity for the town to contribute,” said Alan Sender, Baseball Committee Chairman, according to Peoria’s WEEK-TV.

Unlike the MCC situation in which college board members would have had us taxpayers holding the bag.

The bids are connected to the Frontier and Northern Leagues.

Illinois State University is building a 1,000 seat stadium for $3 million, the article says.

Bids.

McHenry County residents never heard that word in connection with the minor league baseball stadium that McHenry County College’s board of trustees tried to foist on us taxpayers.

But that word is in the first sentence of Bloomington Pantagraph reporter Randy Reinhardt’s article about Tuesday’s Heartland Community College board meeting.

Consultant Mike Thiessen says they came in “right at the sweet spot.”

How refreshing that a junior college minor league baseball stadium consultant might be looking out for the best interests of the college, rather than looking out for the best interests of his buddy, a baseball promoter.

There are three stadium bids to seat 3,500 to 4,500 (expansion possibilities to 6,000) costing $10 to 11.5 million.

College President Jon Astroth says the $1.7 million Heartland had intended to spend on its own sports facility could be used to subsidize the minor league effort. Or, even more, since the college stadium came in at $3.3 million—way, way over the expected price.

“Visible stunned,” is the way Peoria Journal-Star reporter Steve Stein put it.

And if it costs more?

“They have no place to pass the cost to. It’s a private entity. And there will be opportunity for the town to contribute,” said Alan Sender, Baseball Committee Chairman, according to Peoria’s WEEK-TV.

Unlike the MCC situation in which college board members would have had us taxpayers holding the bag.

The bids are connected to the Frontier and Northern Leagues.

Illinois State University is building a 1,000 seat stadium for $3 million, the article says.

Heartland Community College President Jon Astrorth does his MCC President Walt Packard imitation at next Tuesday night’s board meeting, according to the Bloomington Pantograph.

That’s the day when the board is predicted to decide whether to move forward with a minor league baseball team or not.

The story by Randy Reinhardt says the college will have proposals in hand.

Well, imagine that.

More than one proposal is being allowed consideration.

Guess that won’t be a imitation of how Packard froze out all competitors to Pete Heitman and his secret band of rich investors.

The article has this revealing part:

“Heartland would contribute money it had earmarked for its own complex and the town will be involved in infrastructure financing. But ownership groups have been made aware of the limit to which their efforts will be subsidized (emphasis added).

“’Some have been less than enthusiastic (about that),’ said Astroth. ‘But more than one serious group is pursuing it under the guidelines we set out with very limited funding.’”

And the McLean County stadium would have to be more versatile than the McHenry County Board required of its stadium developer from what Heartland President Astroth told the Pantagraph:

“We have said in meetings this has got to be multi-sport for us. If (after the construction of a stadium) we would still have to have a soccer field, a practice soccer field and a softball field, that doesn’t get us very far.”

The evaluator, the MCC counterpart of Mark Houser, if you will, on the project is Mike Thiessen.

Competition is waning on the part of the American Association, leaving bidders from the Frontier League and the Northern League.

Isn’t it interesting that Heartland Community College is allowing competition, but McHenry County College would not?