Bangor in the ballgame

The Bangor City Council should enthusiastically support plans for a new baseball stadium that will be home to the Bangor Blue Ox and mark the beginning of a turning point for the city. This is an opportunity that transcends the interests of a ball club, and gets to the heart of how Bangor views itself.

The debate over the stadium mirrors the city’s historic view of supporting public infrastructure, in which moments of enthusiasm are overwhelmed by long bouts of indecision. If the city is going to survive as a community, if it is going to thrive, it must take steps to revitalize itself, to create public places where residents come together in an informal and enjoyable way. Parks, concerts, outdoor theater, Fourth-of-July fireworks and, yes, baseball games contribute to a quality of life that goes beyond the bottom line on the accounting sheet.

That does not mean cost should be ignored. The deal before the council currently looks like this: Bangor would build a $4.2 million stadium at Bass Park starting this fall. With a conservative attendance estimate for the Blue Ox and a couple of other assumptions thrown in for attracting a few concerts and other events at the stadium, it may turn a small operating surplus, according to the latest set of numbers from the city. The money for building the stadium would be paid back at 5.5 percent interest over 20 years, at $335,000 per year. The expected property tax cost for a home valued at $81,000 would be $18.63 annually.

For some people, that is not a large amount to pay for a stadium; for others, it is the straw that will break the camel’s back. The City Council should take two steps as part of its support for the ballpark: Negotiate a long-term commitment with the Blue Ox that will help pay the mortgage, and seek outside sources of capital funding.

Look for private donations from generous fans. Recognize that the stadium would be enjoyed by the entire region and ask the county to come up with a fair share. Dedicate revenues brought in by development of the city’s waterfront property to the stadium. The ballpark would be part of rebuilding the downtown, so could it or related work qualify for a federal development grant? The state would reap considerable tax dollars from a ballpark here. If Bath Iron Works can get a tax break to lay off workers, why can’t Bangor get a break to develop the city? Perhaps the stadium could generate more revenue by finding a tenant for the spring and fall seasons.

A word of caution: By itself, a baseball stadium will cause barely a ripple of improvement in the local economy. It must be part of an extended commitment to making Bangor not only a great place to live but a natural stopping point for tourists speeding toward Bar Harbor and Baxter State Park. That will take many years and a profound change of thinking about the city’s status.

It is easy to sit back now and say why Bangor cannot accomplish something, why it hasn’t the resources, the people or the vision. That presents the false question of whether Bangor can afford to build a stadium or anything else, for that matter. The real question is, How can Bangor grow so that its residents benefit now and well into the future?

The City Council can answer that question and take an important step toward helping Bangor’s long-range prospects by finding a way to support the stadium. It is a bold step and an affirming one. It is an expression of belief that Bangor can play ball with the best cities and win.