Baseball Stadium, Retail Development Planned for Utica

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UTICA — Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel, along with the Macomb County Planning & Economic Development Department and the city of Utica, today announced a development project that will allow for the building of a multi-million dollar baseball stadium and will include a mixed-use retail and condominium project.

“This ballpark is a welcomed development in Macomb County,” said Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel. “This minor league stadium is a great economic advantage for the city of Utica. It is also a major league quality-of-life opportunity for the region.”

The ballpark, which is being developed by Rochester-based General Sports, will have 2,500 seats and a 500-spot parking structure. A total of approximately 80 independent league games are expected to take place at the stadium as well as other family-friendly community events.

“Our businesses will surely be positively impacted by the visitors that it will attract,” said Utica Mayor Jacqueline Noonan. “We have worked for decades to get our downtown to a vibrant state and now the work of our office and the Downtown Development Authority is coming to fruition. We are enormously proud and excited.”

The ballpark will be located on land just off of Moscone Drive, north of Auburn Road in Utica. The city of Utica’s Downtown Development Authority donated the property, valued at $600,000 to General Sports. The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development, which works under contract as planner for the city of Utica, was integral in helping to make the project come to fruition.

“The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development Department has been very supportive and actively involved since the ballpark’s inception,” said Stephen Cassin, director of the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development. “Besides the obvious economic development advantages such as job creation, increased property values and increased consumer spending, the new baseball stadium will further enhance the city of Utica as a great destination point for families and people of all ages.”