The $1.1 million purchase of a site for Bristol’s new baseball complex that will be home to the Bristol State Liners and Virginia High School’s baseball team will be considered Tuesday night by the city council.
The 8.73-acre site, owned by K-VA-T Food Stores, the parent company of Food City, is on Bob Morrison Boulevard. The property was once home to the Bristol Lingerie plant.
The State Liners, a collegiate summer team in the Appalachian League, is owned by Boyd Sports of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The team and its previous iterations played at Boyce Cox Field and DeVault Memorial Stadium in Bristol for more than 50 years. Although officials on the Virginia side of town made improvements to the facilities, the team was expected to move to the Tennessee side of Bristol, which promised a brand-new complex.
Over the past two years, the team has played its home games in Greeneville and Johnson City, Tennessee.
Two sites were considered, but negotiations broke down. In August, Bristol, Virginia, officials announced that the team was returning to their city and a new stadium.
The property was originally listed at $1.6 million with Marathon Realty, according to information included with the meeting’s agenda. But the city and the owner reached an agreement at $1.1 million, with K-VA-T having the exclusive rights to designate the official name and logo of a portion of the ballpark, the documents state.
The plan is for a state-of-the-art, multiuse stadium that will also serve as a venue for concerts, festivals and other community events.
No cost for the stadium has been released. The complex is expected to open in time for the 2027 season.
The city council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at 300 Lee St.
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