Sylvan Lake is hoping to have a Western Canadian Baseball League team playing out of a new 2,200-seat stadium.
The town announced Thursday it is working with a group to bring a baseball franchise to the community.
“A Western Canadian Baseball League team will be a great addition to our community and region, and we are excited to release about the team in the near future,” said Mayor Sean McIntyre in a statement.
“In the meantime, we’re moving ahead with a memorandum of understanding, which includes a 25-year lease agreement with the group and the future team.”
The team would be located in Pogadl Park, a huge recreation and sport park planned for an 80-acre site on the west side of Sylvan Lake.
“The Hard 4 Sports & Entertainment Group recognizes Sylvan Lake as a hub for recreation and sport. We are excited to introduce the Western Canadian Baseball League to Sylvan Lake residents and look forward to becoming a part of the community,” says Aqil Samuel, the group’s general manager and president of baseball operations.
A 400-foot baseball diamond was already planned for Pogadl Park in future phases. To accommodate the stadium, plans were tweaked and $1 million earmarked for the baseball diamond and parking lot be moved in the capital budget to this year from 2023.
The town reassured residents the new project will not boost the budget for Pogadl Park, which is to be built in phases over a number of years at an estimated cost of $26 million.
The park is expected to include six ball diamonds, three soccer and sports fields, volleyball, basketball and pickleball courts, an outdoor hockey rink, campground and amenity building with change rooms, spray park and playground.
A trail will ring the park and connect the various features.
The town says it will release more details to the public, such as the team name, and the memorandum of understanding, once they are finalized.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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