High Point Leaders Announce Development Around Future Downtown Stadium

High Point University's president will lead a city effort to build a baseball stadium and create more development near the site. A major fundraising campaign is in the works for several of the projects.

Nido Qubein's announcement came at the annual meeting of the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau. He says he'll raise $38 million from private donors to build projects that will help bring more foot traffic downtown. Some ideas include a children's museum, events center, park and educational cinema.

He says the nonprofit group Forward High Point asked him to help with the ballpark project.

“High Point has been my chosen home for nearly 50 years,” Qubein said at Wednesday's meeting. “I am happy here, and I love my city. So when Forward High Point unanimously passed a resolution asking me to lend my experience for the downtown project, I was compelled to say yes. My involvement is strictly as a volunteer. I have no financial interest or stake in this development project in any way. My sole interest is helping High Point thrive.”

The university says Qubein will lead the team's acquisition and naming rights for the stadium.

Last month, city council approved a plan to buy property for the stadium near the intersection of English Road and North Elm Street.

High Point leaders say they hope it will be a catalyst for more development downtown.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news