District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda on Tuesday said the early results of a community wide survey on a new downtown ballpark for the Missions were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea.
There were about 120 responses to the online survey, she explained. The plan is to relocate the minor league team from Nelson Wolff Stadium on U.S. 90 on the Far West Side to downtown.
The survey was launched a few weeks ago.
Cabello Havrda said many residents in the Edgewood School District, where "The Wolff" is located, support the move if it means keeping the Double A farm club of the San Diego Padres in the city.
She added that the city could also learn from the input of those who do not support the relocation. "That's an opportunity to clear up maybe some misconceptions and also hear from the community that don't like the idea," she said. "What's the negative side to it?"
The $160 million ballpark is proposed for an area of west downtown, north of Fox Tech High School. It would be the center of a residential, retail, and entertainment district.
Cabello-Havrda said she supported the relocation and believes the redevelopment of downtown is headed in the right direction, except for the amount of convenient, affordable housing for those who work downtown.
She recalled her days as a college student putting herself through school by working in River Walk restaurants.
"There's a lot of people that work on the river," she said. "They used to call us 'River Rats' back then. I don't know if they still do. That's said with love, by the way. And they need a place to live. ... And it's difficult sometimes when you're getting out at two in the morning from a restaurant or bar ... and make your way all the way back over to District 6 or District 7 or wherever it is."
The city council has a formal vote on terms for the new ballpark on Sept. 5. Major League Baseball has said "The Wolff" is not up to league standards, and the city could lose the team if action is not taken.
Cabello Havrda said she's not sure where the rest of the council stands on keeping the name of stadium after the move. The ballpark would open in 2028.
