A member of the city’s West Third Street Development Committee, Bagby said he has concerns about the spread of possible misinformation on the proposal to relocate Barron Stadium and the tennis courts to land near State Mutual Stadium.
The project, proposed by developers Doc Kibler and Delos H. “Dee” Yancey, is up for a vote by the City Commission Thursday at 10 a.m. If it passes, it will give the developers the green light to continue property acquisition in the West Third area. The street is planned for a multi-use area with retail offices, residences, medical offices and green space.
Frank Barron, whose father helped seal the deal that transferred the Barron Stadium property to the city, said he supports the project. “I think it’s a good idea to move it,” Barron said. “There’s absolutely no objection on my part on moving the stadium.”
No member of the Barron family owned the property the stadium sits on, though Barron’s father, Willie Barron, did sit on the Rome Board of Education at the time of the land transfer.
The land, originally called Hamilton Park, was transferred to the city in 1925. The school board unanimously voted after the purchase to rename it Barron Park, since Willie Barron played an essential role in its acquisition. Willie Barron abstained from the vote.
Willie Barron is credited with underwriting the $2,000 difference between the price the city had agreed to pay and the price the owner had asked
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