Bankruptcy led to ownership by the city of Fresno in 2009. On Monday Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin suggested a path to change this picture by investing seven hundred, 78 thousand dollars from an insurance settlement.
Swearengin explained, "To use that one time money to make the property good, to bring the property up to speed and to deal with the one time property and equipment failures that we have here at Granite Park."
The city council gets the plan Thursday along with a request to negotiate a long term management and profit sharing agreement with 'Big League Dreams' to operate the three ball parks here. Two of Granite Park's restaurant owners love the idea.
Tom Ferdinandi said, "It's sad to see it faded and worn."
Ferdinandi brought Me-N-Ed's Victory Grill to Granite Park in late summer 2007.
Manny Perales said, "Just excited. We've been open for two weeks now and this news."
Perales opened his latest 'Yosemite Falls Cafe' here this year. He too wants the ball parks back.
Perales said, "I played soccer, my children played soccer. We were out here three days a week."
Both believe the mayor's plan to bring back the ball parks will get the development back on track.
Ferdinandi said, "We were joking maybe we could have Me-N-Ed's versus Yosemite Falls; could be the first game out here."
The mayor says these ball parks are the best choice for this particular investment.
Swearengin explains, "There are no other similar facilities in the city that if we invest one time money it can start generating revenue to that it pays for its own operations and maintenance."
You could say the city's got a couple of men on base, two outs and the next batter walking up to the plate.
If this new plan succeeds, baseball and retail may actually end up feeding each other.
