First steps approved for Regina’s new baseball stadium by council

It’s game on again for a new baseball facility in Regina.

At Regina City Hall on Wednesday, the council voted 8 to 2 in favour of a motion moving ahead with the next steps to a new baseball facility.

It was a lengthy motion before the council on the proposed stadium. One of its provisions directed city administration to enter a long-term lease between the City and the Regina Red Sox for Currie Field and to support upgrades at the facility.

A second provision directed city administration to partner with Living Sky Sports and Entertainment and the Red Sox to engage with DCG Philanthropic Services Inc. for what they call a “case for support” study on the potential for raising sponsorship and philanthropic funds to support the new baseball stadium project.

Mayor Sandra Masters described the study as to “see if there is actually $5 million out in the public prepared to partner with us.”

A third provision then calls on the council to commit to a minimum cash investment of $2.5 million in the Baseball Stadium Project, over ten years with ten equal payments of $250,000 per year. That would be subject to the case for support study confirming donations or sponsorship support greater or equal to $5 million.

But the last provision made it clear that this city’s financial commitment “shall be subject to and conditional” on the City of Regina being satisfied with the stadium project design, the location, the ownership structure, final capital costs, the terms of financing and stadium management.

In other words, the final decision on whether the $2.5 million will actually go ahead for the stadium will be up to a future council to decide, when the stadium proposal is ready for go-ahead approval.

The motion before council Wednesday was backed by Councillor Bob Hawkins and Mayor Sandra Masters. Both had signed a Notice of Motion that they had previously tried to present to the council back in June 2024. That came back on Wednesday in the form of a full motion.

That motion raised concerns that Currie Field did not meet current facility standards. Among the issues cited were the washrooms and a septic system that cannot keep up with park usage; a right field dimension of 295 feet that did not meet Baseball Canada requirements; bleachers requiring upgrades to meet code and accessible seating requirements; and a substandard single dressing room, concession, backstop, fencing, and ticketing infrastructure.

Their motion stated the Red Sox must “address these deficiencies in a timely fashion, or face suspension from the Western Major Baseball League (Western Canadian Baseball League).”

As for potential locations, both the rail yards on Dewdney Avenue and the Taylor Field sites were mentioned though there is no final location selected.

On Wednesday, the council heard from Al Simpson representing Living Sky Sports and Entertainment and the Regina Red Sox.

While he said the Western Canadian Baseball League had been “patient with us,” Simpson nevertheless pointed to the issues facing the current stadium.

He said some of the struggles and council setbacks the baseball stadium project had seen in the last few years. They had put out a concept for a new stadium in the rail yards back in 2021. They later proposed a joint baseball-and-soccer facility project.

Simpson also pointed to Regina’s infrastructure deficit. He characterized the city as getting the “gold medal” for “kicking the can down the road.”

“There’s an opportunity with this notice of motion not to kick the can down the road, but to pick up the ball and run with it in a tangible way,” said Simpson.

Simpson also noted the Regina Red Sox would not be the only user of the facility, saying it would be available to other baseball teams and organizations in the city when the Red Sox weren’t playing.

He urged council members to support the motion before it, noting it did not “obligate the city of Regina” to build a new stadium.

He also made clear it was time for everyone in the project to step up. “It sort of puts a lid on this — like it’s step up or shut up,” said Simpson.

“I don’t say that from the city’s perspective, I say that from the philanthropic community, from the Red Sox, from everybody — let’s step up or put it to bed.”

Councillor Hawkins reiterated Simpson’s point this was not a motion to approve a baseball field but proceeding only with first steps. The city would only be on the hook for the $30,000 cost of the study.

“This seems to me an opportunity not to be missed,” said Hawkins. He also pointed to the additional investment that would happen at Currie Field, saying that will “not be lost no matter what.”

The baseball stadium motion got support from other members of council including Ward 7 Councillor Terina Nelson. At one point Nelson said “Currie Field is not in the boonies, it’s in my ward and people love it.”

Councillors Daniel LeBlanc and Shanon Zachidniak cast the two no votes. Zachidniak said the “timing was all wrong” for this, pointing to a new council coming in after the election.

In speaking to reporters afterward, Mayor Masters made known her thoughts on why she was in support of the motion.

“When there is a possibility of partnership for things that we know are aged or end of life or close to end of life, we move those opportunities forward in the best and most responsible way we can.”