Pat Minnite, second from left, discusses his plans to donate land for a sports and entertainment complex in conjunction with his “Uptown Parkersburg” development on Fort Boreman Hill at the proposed site on Fort Boreman Drive Tuesday afternoon. Also pictured are Minnite’s children and managing partners in the PM Company, from left, Karmyn Minnite Conley, Pat Minnite Jr. and Jason Minnite.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — When local developer Pat Minnite bought 175 acres of property on Fort Boreman Hill last year, he envisioned residential development and upscale shopping in an area he’s calling “Uptown Parkersburg.”
Baseball wasn’t in the picture.
Minnite said he didn’t think it would be enough of a draw to warrant the investment it would take or fit in well with his other plans. But after visiting some minor league ballparks recently – including seeing his grandson, race car driver Cale Conley throwing out the first pitch at a West Virginia Power game – Minnite began to reconsider.
On Tuesday, he announced he was donating 10 acres of land off Fort Boreman Drive to the effort to build a sports and entertainment complex that supporters hope will serve as the venue for a Frontier League baseball team and much more.
“In the interest of our valley, we envision something more than just a baseball field,” Minnite said before a crowd of approximately 50 local leaders, business officials and employees of his PM Company. “We also see music and family events – restaurants, hotels, other amenities. … Our vision is for a venue to gather for a variety of family recreation.”
Bringing independent professional baseball back to Parkersburg has been discussed for the last few years, with site selection a major focus. Fort Boreman was one of the early frontrunners, but appeared to be off the table after Minnite’s purchase.
After announcing his donation, Minnite called on the various players involved to come together and move the project forward.
“In the coming weeks, I’d like to invite the leaders to meet and discuss how we can get this project started and get it done,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Some of those leaders were invited to Minnite’s press conference Tuesday afternoon in front of the land he plans to contribute. In attendance were Parkersburg Mayor Jimmy Colombo and multiple city department heads, City Councilwomen Nancy Wilcox and Sharon Lynch, Wood County Commissioners Blair Couch and Bob Tebay, Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp and City Councilman Bruce Rogers and Joe Campbell and Fred Earley, members of the Wood County Development Authority’s Parkersburg Baseball Study Committee.
“Property acquisition was going to be a significant stage in the process,” Earley said. “Donating 10 acres on what is clearly … as prime a development in this area and anywhere in the state is quite a gesture.”
Minnite said the next step will be to determine where the money for the project is coming from and who will be involved.
One of those individuals is expected to be Stu Williams, owner of the Frontier League’s Washington Wild Things. He signed a memorandum of understanding with former Parkersburg Mayor Bob Newell in January, agreeing to commit staff and resources to the process in exchange for exclusive rights to bring a team here.
Contacted Tuesday, Williams said he believes a baseball team in Parkersburg would be “enormously successful” and he’s still willing to help, advise and be the principal figure in bringing the franchise here. In recent weeks, he’s met with Colombo and Minnite.
“He (Minnite) and his family are just incredibly smart, driven, community minded people,” Williams said. “I support the mayor. I support Pat.”
Under the memorandum, the city commits to using hotel/motel tax revenue to support a financing package to acquire land – an expense that appears unnecessary now – and build the stadium. That still requires the approval of City Council.
Colombo said there are other ways the city can help, although the project would not be eligible for tax increment financing.
“There are some incentive packages on our books for infrastructure projects,” he said.
Rapp said he was glad to attend Tuesday’s announcement even though the project isn’t in Vienna. The complex can be an economic driver for the region, he said.
“This is huge for the entire valley, first off because the Minnite family’s involved,” Rapp said. “They’re very successful. They don’t go into any of these things lightly.”
Jill Parsons, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley, said Minnite’s announcement brings “great momentum” to the project.
“For a strong business community, you need activities that are family oriented and fun,” she said.
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