New Minor League Park Eyed

Sarpy County officials are considering building a ballpark for the Omaha Royals as the city’s plan to build a new $140 million downtown stadium will leave the local minor league team homeless after 2011.

Located in eastern Nebraska, Sarpy County is just south of Omaha, but does not include the city in its area.

Rosenblatt Stadium, the current home to the Omaha Royals, will be demolished as Omaha moves to relocate the College World Series to a new, largely bond-funded stadium downtown. Earlier negotiations to house the team in the new ballpark reportedly have fallen through, and Royals officials recently said their future is uncertain.

The Sarpy County Board has ordered a feasibility study done on a new minor league stadium. The Royals president estimated a ballpark with 6,000 to 9,000 seats would cost from $24 million to $36 million.

County officials have said they would consider creating an entertainment district and issuing revenue bonds tied to team rent, corporate sponsorships, ticket revenue, and fees or taxes, according to local reports.

Another possibility would be to lobby the Nebraska Legislature to approve the use of sales tax revenue to pay off bonds. The Legislature previously rejected a similar proposal.

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