GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Starting in the summer of 2024, Greenville will have a new summer collegiate baseball team to play at Guy Smith Stadium.

During Thursday’s city council meeting, all council members voted to approve the lease agreement for Capitol Broadcasting to partner with the City of Greenville. That means the baseball-loving city will have another team to watch and cheer for.

“Feels great, we’ve been wanting to bring a team here for a long time, this is a baseball-crazy area,” said Chip Allen, commissioner of the Coastal Plain League.

Summer collegiate baseball in Greenville one step closer

The lease states around 32 games will be played each year. Guy Smith Stadium will be leased between May 15 – September 30 every year for the next 10 years.

“With ECU and the history of Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson, it just feels like this is a natural fit,” said Allen.

One million dollars will go to stadium improvements with Capitol Broadcasting and Greenville splitting the cost, each paying $500,000.

Capitol Broadcasting and the City will also host a one-day baseball camp to benefit West Greenville youth and to help with skill development, character building and developing a love for baseball.

“What we’re trying to do is build and get people and kids ready for that next level on both the baseball side and on a personal side, where you can learn a lot about yourself, learn about the community, learn how to interact, be a part of the fabric of what you’re doing,” said Allen. “And I think that’s really, really important for these kids to learn.”

But before games get underway, the public will help to decide a name for the team.

“It’s about the fans in this part and we want the fans to embrace this with them to be a part of it,” said Allen. “Get them to come in and kind of gravitate towards the team. And I think that’s the first step in doing so.”

Since the city council has adopted the lease agreement, improvements will start pretty soon at Guy Smith Stadium to get ready for the first pitch to be thrown in June 2024.

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Below is a list of other actions taken during the May 11 City Council meeting (from City of Greenville):

Appointments

  • Item 1: Appointments to Boards and Commissions (Appointed Karen Zipp to the Environmental Advisory Commission, Reappointed Kevon Gainer and Najiyah Lewis to the Recreation and Parks Commission)

New Business: Public Hearings

  • Item 2: Ordinance to annex Barrington Fields, Section 3 property involving a total of 5.6063 acres located along the western right-of-way of Frog Level Road at the current terminus of Barrington Drive (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 3: Ordinance to annex Joseph and Lily Bland’s property involving a total of 9.0716 acres located along the southern right-of-way of Darrell Drive and 280 +/- feet east of Len Drive (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 4: Ordinance requested by the Planning and Development Services Department to amend the regulations for tobacco shops in that no tobacco shop (class 2) shall be located within a one-half mile radius of a tobacco shop (class 1) or tobacco shop (class 2) (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 5: Second reading and consideration of an ordinance requested by the Engineering Department to amend various chapters of the City Code to reflect recent changes in the City’s operating structure and development standards (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 6: Renewal of West Greenville Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 7: Resolution approving an economic development expenditure and appropriation and agreement with Pitt County Committee of 100 D/B/A Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance and Greenville Utilities Commission for Development of a shell building (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 8: Resolution and Lease Agreement Between the City of Greenville and Capitol Broadcasting, Inc. for the use of Guy Smith Stadium to host a Coastal Plain League Baseball Franchise (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 9: Public Finance Authority Retirement Facility Revenue Anticipation Bonds (SpringShire Pre-Development Project) Series 2015 (the “Bonds”) (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 10: Public Finance Authority Senior Living Facilities Revenue Bonds (Rising Phoenix Project), in one or more series (the “Bonds”), to finance a senior living facility to be located in the City of Greenville (the “City”) (Unanimously Approved)

Other Items of Business

  • Item 11: Update on the Integrated Mobility & Enhancement Plan (IMEP) for the Transit Division of Public Works (Unanimously approved a pilot program for Routes 2 & 4)
  • Item 12: Presentation of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 Operating Budgets for the Pitt-Greenville Convention & Visitors Authority, Sheppard Memorial Library, and Greenville Utilities Commission (Presentations Received)
  • Item 13: Review of historic signage in the College View Neighborhood and consideration of Historic District Signage Policy (Unanimously Approved)
  • Item 14: Consideration of additional one-stop voting sites (Unanimously approved request for two additional sites)

*The Council also voted unanimously to direct staff to bring back information about funding a feasibility study for a sports complex in the 2023-24 budget proposal.

*Supporting documentation and additional information regarding the agenda items listed above can be found here.