Could GM Plant a Field of Dreams?

(From the Janesville Messenger, 3-29-09)

Play ball!

That’s what I hope local officials will do with the latest proposal for re-use of the vacant General Motors facility in Janesville.

A plan announced last week would convert the plant into a multi-purpose entertainment facility that includes an indoor stadium for the Beloit Snappers, an indoor hockey rink, and a new home for the Rock County Fairgrounds.

There is much to like about this proposal. The Snappers and the Rock County Fair have both been coveting a more convenient location. And while this isn’t right next to Interstate 90 as either might prefer, it is certainly accessible thanks to the construction of the Reuther Way access road a few years ago.

The proposed name for the stadium and grounds is General Motors Field. Rather than selling naming rights to the facility, it will carry the GM name because the corporation – admittedly eager to stop paying taxes on the property – is donating the entire parcel and all of its buildings to the city of Janesville. And frankly, it just seems right that a ballpark there would be named for GM.

For the Snappers, this could be a dream come true. The proposed General Motors Field would have plenty of parking space, and they would be getting a facility that guarantees baseball rain or shine. The current plan is for a permanent roofed stadium with artificial turf, much like the Metrodome in Minneapolis, home of the Snappers’ parent organization, the Minnesota Twins. In fact, with the Twins preparing to move to a new stadium of their own in 2010, cost savings will be realized by re-using materials salvaged from the Metrodome. General Motors Field could easily re-use the Metrodome’s turf, seats, inflatable dome and even the blue outfield walls. If enough funding could be secured, however, a retractable roof and real grass is not out of the question.

Of course, the move to Janesville would require some tinkering with the team name. One suggestion – the Suburban Snappers – would be a tip of the hat to both GM and the two-city support of the team, while retaining the Snapper name as a tribute to Beloit. It’s a similar concept used by the NBA’s New Orleans Jazz when they kept their team name after moving to Utah.

The indoor facility would also open up many more possibilities for the Rock County 4-H Fair. For one thing, never again would inclement weather spoil the musical entertainment. There would also be a lot more room available to house animals and exhibits.

Of course, you can’t have an entire county fair indoors – in Wisconsin, one must smell the dairy air – so an outdoor midway would be adjacent to the indoor music venue and barns. And of course, the biggest benefit would be finally moving the fair out of a residential neighborhood that relies on street parking.

This facility would also put to rest the debate about what to do with the Janesville Ice Arena. Refrigeration equipment and bleachers still sitting at the GM plant could be recycled and re-used to form a rink that would satisfy the needs of everyone from Junior A League players to figure skaters and curlers.

Though nothing concrete has been determined, the new General Motors Field could potentially be used for many other events – Rock County Gladiators football, Janesville high school graduation ceremonies, and the Forward Janesville Business and Marketing Expo are just a few. Don’t count out political rallies, either. What presidential candidate wouldn’t love the opportunity to make a statement by campaigning at General Motors Field?

General Motors Field will need the support of the government and the public to become a reality. I would highly recommend that you contact state and local officials to voice your opinion on this issue. Give them a call at 1-800-APRIL-FOOL.