On October 7, 2003, Greensboro, North Carolina voters rejected an ordinance that would have prohibited stadiums in the central business district. The outcome cleared the way for the privately funded ballpark to move forward and by spring of 2005, the Greensboro Bats will be playing in a new downtown ballpark. The ballpark project comes from Action Greensboro, a non-profit organization trying to help spur economic activity in the center-city. Currently the Guilford County Department of Social Services is located on the stadium site. In 2002, the county entered an agreement with Downtown Greensboro Renaissance, LLC in a land exchange deal. The county will get a badly needed new facility to house the DSS offices on Maple Street. The current DSS offices will be demolished to make way for the ballpark. The county will only pay half the cost for the new DSS building making this a great deal for taxpayers.

The downtown ballpark is expected to help generate other spin-off business around the stadium which would include retail, restaurants, offices and residential development. Other downtown projects that will open in 2005 are the center-city park and the International Civil Rights Museum.

GREENSBORO STADIUM DISCUSSION

Greensboro's new minor league ballpark will be the home of the Class A Greensboro Bats. The new park will be constructed to meet Class AA standards with expansion beyond. The seating capacity will be approximately 6,000, including 5,300 chair back seats. Other seating will be available on grassy berms, sky boxes and picnic areas. Fans will be served at three major concession stands with 36 points of sale. The Grandstand sports bar in the left field corner, with three additional points of sale, will provide a unique environment for watching a game and carries on a long standing tradition from the former home of the Bats. A playground for children, large group picnic areas and a "walk-around" concourse are other fan amenities the ballpark will provide.

Architecturally, the ballpark recognizes both tradition of historic ballpark design and the character of Greensboro's architecture. The primary material for the park is brick in two different colors. Arches, corbelling and other methods of brick detailing are used throughout the ballpark. The interior walls that face the concourse are also brick. The upper level of the park utilizes fiber cement board construction in a "clapboard siding" method and painted white. A dark green standing metal roof on the overhanging roof completes the look best described as "Churchhill Downs on top of Camden Yards".