DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) - The development of a proposed $74 million baseball and softball complex at the “Field of Dreams” movie site in eastern Iowa has largely stalled since a lawsuit was filed two years ago.
A group of nearby property owners sued Dyersville in September 2012, claiming the City Council didn’t consider the impact commercial development would have on the surrounding area when the property was rezoned from agricultural use.
Both sides are expected to appear in court next year, and Dyersville Mayor Alvin Haas said all local officials can do is wait until then.
“We have a pending lawsuit,” Haas said. “What I think I’m going to do is take a wait-and-see (approach) and see what happens.”
City Administrator Mick Michel referred questions from the Dubuque Telegraph Herald (https://bit.ly/1qm9CA8 ) to attorney Doug Henry. A message seeking comment was left with Henry on Monday.
Tentative construction deadlines have passed for the All-Star Ballpark Heaven project, which has attracted high-profile investors, including former Major League Baseball player Wade Boggs and actor Matthew Perry.
President and CEO Denise Stillman of Go the Distance Baseball LLC, the company behind the youth sports complex, said more firm deadlines can’t be set until funding is secured for the project.
“The timeline all depends on our funders,” she said. “Unfortunately, the funding markets are a little volatile and unpredictable.”
But the 25th anniversary celebration in June at the movie site was a “watershed moment” that helped spark investor interest in the project. Stillman said plans for All-Star Ballpark Heaven haven’t been dialed down, but she acknowledged that she stopped discussions about hosting a professional team with the Northern League.
“We just want to focus on our development first,” she said. “(Professional baseball) was always just an ’add on.’”
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