High Point City Council Will Consider New Ways To Fund Stadium Project

High Point City Council is holding a special meeting Thursday where city leaders are expected to discuss new ways to fund a proposed baseball stadium downtown.

Supporters of the stadium say timing is important here. That's because a professional baseball team is committed to playing in High Point starting in April 2019. They say if the team has no stadium, the deal could fall apart.

City leaders also say the project is crucial to revitalizing downtown.

Opponents argue that the local government shouldn't spend public money to build stadiums, and are concerned about too much competition from neighboring cities.

Guilford County Commissioners recently voted to delay a decision to provide some financial support for the project.

That's not stopping city leaders from moving forward with their plans. Last month, council approved $5 million for demolition and design costs to jumpstart the project.

High Point University president Nido Qubein says he's also raised around $50 million in private money to support the project and additional development around the ballpark, which includes a museum, apartments and restaurants.

High Point City Council says there will be a presentation and consideration of a financing plan for the multi-use stadium during Thursday's special meeting. It will be held at 2 p.m. in the municipal building.

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