WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The City of Wilmington is considering using a mix of public and private funding to bring a baseball stadium and a minor league team to the Port City.
This weekend, both supporters and opponents gathered within eyesight of each other to spread their opposing messages.
Supporters of a possible baseball stadium hope that if the city and county decide to build it, it will become a large tourist attraction. Saturday afternoon, they picked up their bats, baseballs and gloves for a game of softball in a downtown field near PPD, where a stadium could possibly be built.
"It's always the nice memories the time with your family your friends," said supporter Bryan Adams.
Adams says he grew up in Wilmington, and some of his fondest memories were at baseball games, adding that baseball is too big of an opportunity for the city to pass up.
"The money's going to be massive," he said. "I mean, Wilmington is definitely rebounding right now after these tough couple few years we've been going through here."
Chuck Kuebler is from the pro-baseball website portcitybaseball.com. He says the Atlanta Braves want to set up a minor league team in Wilmington by 2014, and it he said it takes about a year and a half to build a baseball stadium.
So, Kuebler says he thinks it's something the city needs to get behind.
"If we bypass on this issue, the Braves will find another partner probably or another city," said Kuebler.
He says baseball is an economic engine, but New Hanover County Commissioner Rick Catlin disagreed.
"I think we need to call it what it is," said Catlin. "It's an amenity, and if you're going to use taxpayer money for that, you need to let them vote and let them tell you and decide that's what they want."
Around the same time baseball supporters gathered, Catlin joined others at a protest against a tax-funded stadium in Wilmington.
The protest was behind the Wilmington Convention Center, which is about 1,000 feet away from where supporters of a stadium had their softball game.
Protestors had petitions for people to sign, asking city council to create an ordinance not allowing any public funds to be used on a stadium.
"I think the net benefit will not outweigh the net cost," said protester Jason Spencer, who signed the petition.
Spencer says he's not against bringing baseball to the Port City -- he's just against using taxpayer money to fund it.
"If private investors or private enterprise ultimately decide to have a stadium here, then so be it," he said. "I might even come out to a game."
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Baseball supporters gathered for a game of softball Saturday afternoon near PPD.
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