Minor League Baseball Coming to Spartanburg as Part of Proposed Downtown Development
May 23, 2023 12:12PM ● By David Dykes
A consortium of public and private sector partners announced May 23, 2023, that a new baseball stadium is planned in downtown Spartanburg and would be the future home of a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Texas Rangers, currently playing as the Down East Wood Ducks in Kinston, N.C.
Officials said the project results from a partnership between the city of Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, the state of South Carolina, OneSpartanburg, Inc., The Johnson Group, and Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates minor league clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB), and which recently announced the acquisition of the Down East Wood Ducks.
The proposed state-of-the-art stadium, developed by The Johnson Group, would be owned by the city of Spartanburg. Diamond Baseball Holdings is the club’s new majority owner and would lease the stadium from the city.
Robins & Morton would serve as the general contractor for the stadium's construction. The team could begin playing in Spartanburg as soon as the 2025 Minor League Baseball season.
With 3,500 fixed seats and a 5,000+ square foot Club Room, the new stadium would also serve as a year-round venue for public and private events, officials said.
In addition to the stadium, the 16-acre mixed-use site in downtown Spartanburg would include multifamily housing units, office space, and entertainment options as part of a $250 million-plus development project.
In addition to the stadium, the 16-acre mixed-use site in downtown Spartanburg would include multifamily housing units, office space, and entertainment options as part of a $250 million-plus development project.
“Leveraging key acreage to transform the city’s western gateway, this multi-faceted project aligns perfectly with the 2017- 2026 OneSpartanburg Vision Plan," said Allen Smith, president and CEO of OneSpartanburg, Inc.
"Strategic programming within a state-of-the art entertainment amenity, more multi-family housing, and Class A office product not only build a next level Downtown Spartanburg but also help recruit knowledge-based jobs and top tier talent."
Smith added, "This project affirms the notion that economic opportunity abounds when local and state governments work in tandem with the private sector."