Friday, July 23, 2021

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH PRESIDENT JAMES ODDO ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO BRING ATLANTIC LEAGUE TEAM TO STATEN ISLAND BALLPARK

 

Staten Island Entertainment to activate stadium with baseball and additional community programming beginning Spring 2022

 Mayor de Blasio, Borough President James Oddo, and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced an agreement with Staten Island Entertainment to bring professional baseball back to the Staten Island Ballpark. Staten Island Entertainment will bring an Atlantic League team to play at the St. George waterfront stadium beginning in 2022. The team will be named following an engagement process with local elected officials, community members, and other stakeholders.
 
Prior to the 2022 season, NYCEDC and Staten Island Entertainment will make necessary upgrades to the facility, which will include installation of synthetic turf, seating and concourse upgrades, and other improvements. The renovated stadium will be a destination venue for New Yorkers across the five boroughs; Staten Island Entertainment plans to release an annual calendar of concerts and other community events to draw additional visitors to the facility and the borough.
 
“Baseball is back on Staten Island,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This ballpark has the potential to unite Staten Islanders around the home team and attract visitors from across the city and the region. We’re proud to secure a long-term future for this venue and build a recovery for all of us on Staten Island.”
 
“Having our national pastime played once again in our borough will be wonderful, but this agreement is about so much more,” said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. “It’s about young players and professional athletes from many different sports.  It’s about local businesses and nearby cultural institutions. This is an opportunity to use Richmond County Ballpark to its fullest capacity, and to make it part of the lives of so many more Staten Islanders. Thank you to Mayor de Blasio and his team for the work they did to get this deal done, specifically the good folks at NYCEDC led by Rachel Loeb, and before that by my old friend James Patchett, as well as their hardworking staff that negotiated this deal."
 
“We are ecstatic to bring professional baseball back to the St. George waterfront and to reactivate the facility as a destination for Staten Islanders and visitors alike to enjoy concerts and additional events,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “Congratulations to our partners Borough President Oddo and Staten Island Entertainment on bringing this vision to reality.”
 
“This is one of the most exciting ventures I have ever been a part of,” said SIE partner John Catsimatidis. “We will bring family entertainment back to the people of Staten Island, boost the local economy and see our team conquer the Atlantic League.”
 
“We will also welcome local sports teams to use our professional stadium for playoffs and championships,” said SIE partner Eric Shuffler. “We look forward to partnering with the community to create something great on Staten Island, starting with our team name.”
 
"We appreciate Major League Baseball and the Atlantic League for their support in this effort," said New York Yankees President Randy Levine. "This is something really exciting for the residents of the great borough of Staten Island. We wish them all of the success in the world."
 
The City recognizes the work and cooperation of Nostalgic Partners to successfully reassign the stadium lease to Staten Island Entertainment and appreciates their best efforts to bring professional baseball back to Staten Island.
 
 

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