Beloit Stadium Editorial

Ballparkdigest.com had this yesterday, so here it is today on this site. The deadline is rapidly approaching for the stadium deal to get done in Beloit and the Beloit Daily News checks in with an editorial.

Due diligence on land proposal

PERHAPS SUPERVISOR Adam Peer said it best: “I'm worried people who may oppose this are just going to ask a million questions and we'll lose a real golden opportunity to keep two institutions alive and viable in Rock County.”

The two institutions are the Beloit Snappers and the Rock County 4-H Fair.

The proposal is a complicated land swap deal that may provide space and considerable financial support for development of a new fairgrounds and a new ballpark for the Snappers.
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The county fairgrounds in Janesville is land-locked and inadequate, and has been for years. As such, it contributes to an image that the fair is a Janesville event rather than a countywide institution.

Likewise, the Beloit Snappers stadium simply won't meet the demands of modern professional baseball, even at a low minor-league level. Snappers' management has looked long and hard for solutions in the Beloit area, without success. The window of opportunity for keeping the team in Beloit already may have closed.

That's not a pleasant prospect for many Beloiters, especially those who object to any linkage with Janesville. But here's the truth: To survive, the Snappers need Rock County - Beloit and Janesville and all surrounding points. Otherwise, the area will lose the team. It's that simple.

The editorial is short and worth the read. What I take away from it is this: It is going to be an interesting couple of weeks in Rock County.