Wilmington, the largest city in the state of Delaware (US), has announced that Public Private Partnership (PPP) is the best option in order to preserve, manage and improve the City’s Baynard Stadium sports and event facility.

A partnership arrangement was one of the five options presented to the City by the Baynard Stadium Working Group that was appointed in March to study the future use, maintenance and management of the 95-year old facility.

The other four options in summary were:

• Maintaining the status quo which is expected to lead to the eventual physical demise of the stadium
• A cash investment of approximately US$12.6 million by the State of Delaware
• Bonded financing by Wilmington that would cost the City US$18.4 million
• Bonded financing and operational funding by Wilmington that would cost the City US$22.2 million

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said:

“The process we’ve used up to this point to determine options regarding the facility’s future has produced very important financial information and analysis. What we now have in front of us makes a public and private partnership a smart and reasonable choice to explore. Those interested in talking to the City should contact us in writing immediately so we can determine which way to proceed.”

Mayor Purzycki said any entity interested in developing a partnership with the City that has the financial ability to undertake this type of large-scale project, should contact his office. iI there are multiple, legitimate inquiries, then the City will establish a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) process to entertain all submissions.

The following issues/conditions would be addressed in an RFP:

• a long-term lease for operational responsibilities of Baynard Stadium, provided certain commitments of capital investment into the stadium were made by the private entity
• access for all current users at fee rates reasonably close to current fees charged by DNREC, with calendar access similar to current field usage
• access to use the field’s concessions facilities for groups that rely on such sales for their organization’s financial stability
• responsible degree of City oversight over the entity that would be tasked with regular operational duties
• continued ownership of the property by the City
• reasonable field access for youth athletic leagues at times that logically fit the needs of the youth groups