At a glance
What: The Farm, a proposed $6 million baseball/softball training and tournament facility.
Where: Along Interstate 69 at Exit 26, Scatterfield Road. Located east of Hampton Inn and north of Meijer.
When: The Farm hopes to open an indoor facility by fall and slate tournaments next year.
Who: Area project principals include Highland High School graduate and Toronto Blue Jays slugger Adam Lind; Mike Shirley, a major league scout who runs a successful instruction facility; Brad Benbow, who owns a Muncie marketing business; and Casey Clutch, a Frankton product, pro softball player and instructor.
ANDERSON — Plans to bring a state-of-the-art baseball and softball training and tournament facility called The Farm to Anderson moved ahead Tuesday as a city panel blessed the project.
The Anderson Plan Commission voted 7-0 to approve the designation of a “Farm Allocation Area” at the site of the project south of Interstate 69 and east of Scatterfield Road. The step will allow the city to capture property tax revenue on site improvements to pay bonds that will help fund the project.
The proposal still must be approved by the Anderson Economic Development Commission and the Anderson City Council. The proposal for the $6 million project would include at least $1 million in city guarantees and result in dozens of jobs.
Tuesday, project principal Mike Shirley told Plan Commission members that he and principal Adam Lind — a hometown hero making good as a major leaguer — insisted the project be built in Anderson.
“It’s a chance for me to bring a project to my hometown,” Shirley said. He said The Farm would “give Anderson a new breath that can, in my opinion, make a difference.”
“We are serious about being a world-class facility,” he said.
Board member Darin Foltz said he knows from the experience of his daughter traveling to softball events that his family spends lots of money at the venues, and he’s wondered, “why can’t we have something like this in Anderson? ... I’m thrilled,” Foltz said.
William Rayford recalled his days as the president of a women’s softball league in the 1970s, when he said talented players had no venue or facilities where they could hone their skills. “We had several ladies with a lot of potential,” he said. “I’m thrilled to death to see something like that come along.”
After the meeting, Shirley and principal Brad Benbow said the proposal differs from a plan to build a $60 million facility in Westfield, north of Indianapolis. Benbow said that proposal is for a multi-sport recreation facility, whereas The Farm would focus on training and higher-level competition.
The land where The Farm would be built is under contract to purchase contingent on necessary city approvals, Benbow said. Several owners are represented by local real estate agent Jerry Armington, Benbow said, but officials involved with the project said they could not disclose the cost of the land.
Shirley said more details will come to light as the process moves forward. “We’re a transparent group,” he said. “We’re trying to do the right thing for the right reason.”
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.