MANTECA -- While it may be constructed on a hill full of weedsrather than a cornfield in Iowa, city officials are optimistic thatManteca's new field of dreams will be a home run for both tourism andretail.
This weekend, the long-awaited Big League Dreams Sports Parkcomplex -- a park featuring replicas of famous major league ballparksdesigned to give visitors the feeling of being professional players -- will open on the outskirts of the city, strategically locatedbetween Interstate 5 and State Route 99. City officials are hopefulthat the 31-acre facility will be a clean-up hitter for the economy.
'This facility is going to be wonderful for the entire community,'said Linda Albedt, executive director of the Manteca Visitors andConvention Bureau. 'With all the tournaments that will bring peoplehere every weekend, we're really hopeful that people will see whatManteca has to offer, which will be great for the local economy.'
After being known for the Manteca Waterslides -- which closed in2004 -- and for Bob Davis' Manteca Trailer and Motor Home advertisingslogan 'Mannnn-teca,' the city had to find something else to hang itshat on, Albedt said.
Manteca hopes to become the 'sports mecca' of the Central Valley,she said, as a BMX bicycle track is in the works, along with thecity's 'world-class soccer fields' and Babe Ruth League 'regularbaseball fields.'
'We want to hang our hat on the sports market,' Albedt said. 'BigLeague Dreams is the cornerstone of that.'
She pointed out that a recent weekend girls softball tournamentwith over 70 teams generated a projected $250,000.
'We feel this can be huge,' she said, adding that in studyingother Big League Dreams sites in Redding, Chino Hills and LeagueCity, Texas that the local economies loved having them because theybring in so many people for weekends. 'We have not heard anynegatives.'
'It has been an outstanding success,' said Pat Keener, an economicdevelopment liaison for the city of Redding. He said since the parkopened on July 4, 2004, in an isolated area northwest of the city,development has flourished in the area, along with an influx oftourists.
'When we opened we expected about 125,000 to go through the gate,but we did almost 350,000 last year,' said Keener, adding thattournaments would come from Reno, the Bay Area, even Spokane, Wash.,to play at their complex.
Of course, such an anticipated reward for Manteca's endeavor comesafter a risk. The park's $29 million price tag is paid for through apublic-private partnership between the city and Big League Dreams,LLC. From the city's end, the funding came through redevelopmentfunds, which a city subcommittee argued during nearly six years oftalks would turn southwestern Manteca into a tourist draw.
Once the Big League Dreams deal was clinched, developers for the48-acre Stadium Retail Center, right across the street from the park,approached the city. Now Kohl's Department store is open, withChili's Grill
& Bar, Old Navy and Famous Footwear to follow. Plans for lodgingin the area are also in the works, City Manager Robert Adams said.
That's the whole idea behind redevelopment, Adams said. The citybuilds up an area to attract other development and generate moremoney for its general fund. With more businesses, and the possibilityof hotels filling up with sports tournament guests, the city ends uprecouping more sales and hotel occupancy taxes, he said. Manteca ownsthe park, but has a 35-year lease agreement with Big League Dreams tooperate it.
'We don't see anything that's not appealing about building inManteca,' Big League Dreams co-owner Jeff Odekirk said. 'It's a greatlocation, because we can reach baseball fans and leagues from the BayArea and San Jose, also from Sacramento and up and down the CentralValley.'
That is the precise area where Manteca will try and promote thenew complex during its early innings of existence, Albedt said. Shesaid the focus will be on a 150-mile radius of the Manteca area --within driving distance, she said.
'Of course, it will be good if people start coming from fartheraway, because they won't be able to go home,' she said jokingly.'
The premise behind Big League Dreams is that the inner child inthe ballplayer can come out, while others can enjoy the additionalamenities provided.
The primary attraction of the park are its fields, as six majorleague ballparks are replicated, with special attention to detail.The scoreboard in the replica Yankee Stadium, for example, mimics theperfect game played by the Yankee's Don Larsen in 1956. Larsen wasthe only man to pitch a perfect game in World Series history.Boston's Fenway Park is set to Game 6 of the 1975 World Series whenCarlton Fisk hit a home run just inside the foul pole to win thegame.
Other ballparks include Detroit's Tiger Stadium, Chicago's WrigleyField, New York's Polo Grounds, and Anaheim's Angel Stadium. Onopening day, three of the six major league replica fields -- TigerStadium, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park -- will be open.
'Once the kids play on that field, they won't want to playanywhere else,' Keener said.
The idea behind the historic parks and not a park like SanFrancisco's AT&T Park is solidified by a law that copyrightsarchitecture past 1989, Odekirk said. The other stadiums were up toManteca's discretion.
Other amenities the park offers include a nine-station battingcage, separate children's playgrounds, two restaurants with a fullview of the fields, a sand volleyball court and parking for 600 cars.
Slow-pitch adult amateur softball teams will be the first to usethe park, with youth teams and tournaments to follow.
The fieldhouse arena, designed for indoor soccer, volleyball andcorporate and special events, will also not be open right away butshould be ready for use in February, according to a news release.
The concept behind Big League Dreams started with Odekirk and hisbrother Rick. About twelve years ago, Rick -- a minor league baseballplayer at the time -- was looking for a way to make some extra bucksin the off-season. The pair noticed that there was a desperateshortage of fields.
'Our concept was to maybe create our own complex, so that way wewouldn't have to compete for time,' Jeff said.
So they went into business with their father -- a developer -- tocreate a complex of softball fields.
'He played for the Yankees farm system, so he had a baseballbackground as well,' Jeff said. 'One thing led to another, and wedecided to make the fields replica stadiums.'
City officials and park personnel announced the park's grandopening will take place Saturday and feature former Oakland Athleticspitcher Vida Blue, former Los Angeles Dodger Bill Russell and formerA's player Jeremy Giambi.
Paul Burgarino can be reached at (209) 832-6143 orpburgarino@angnewspapers.com.
