Griffith University joins pitch for baseball stadium, mayor meets with investors

Griffith University will investigate the feasibility of building a world-class baseball stadium at its Logan campus to be used for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, which could cost anywhere from $35-100 million.

The university is expected to formally partner with Logan City Council to conduct the investigation, if local councillors support the idea at a council meeting this week.

Meanwhile, mayor Jon Raven over the weekend shipped off to Taiwan and Japan for 10 days, where he will pitch the city’s baseball dreams to international investors.

 ”We are going to throw our fastballs straight across the home plate,” Cr Raven said.

“The first most obvious targets are Japanese and Taiwanese businesses that are already invested in professional baseball teams in their country, because they already know the benefits of exposure to baseball.

“It’s a huge market – a $14 billion global industry – so being able to bring some of that attention and energy into Queensland would be fantastic.”

Council has developed a masterplan that would fit the Griffith Logan campus, completed rendered designs of the stadium’s possible look, and a “ballpark” figure of what it would cost.

The mayor said a top-quality facility would cost around $100 million.

But a “much simpler” facility could be built for as little as $35 million.

“The differences in those numbers are the corporate suites and other functionality you are going to put into the site,” Cr Raven said.

“How many seats do you want to have, and what sort of embellishments do you want in the area around it – do you provide training and warm up facilities, gymnasiums and things like that?”

To start, council is pitching the must-have basics for an international-standard stadium, including about 3000 seats, with the goal of adding extra perks to attract international competitions and teams who could train in Logan during their off-season.

 ”We know diamond sports have a shortage of facilities available in Queensland, so this would really let us position ourselves as the home of softball and baseball, not just for Queensland, but possibly for Australia,” Cr Raven said.

Griffith University wants to enter a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with council to investigate the feasibility of building a stadium, including funding models and partnerships. 

“As Australia’s leading sports university, Griffith is proud to be a global leader in supporting elite athletes championing excellence in sport and education,” a Griffith spokesperson said of the partnership.

“We are collaborating closely with our partners to support their investment in our Logan campus with the aim to deliver lasting benefits for students, staff, and the wider community.”

Logan council appears supportive of the idea, as the Meadowbrook campus is “centrally placed, with easy access to the M1, Loganlea train station and future planned green connections”.

According to the city’s economic development and city planning manager, David Radich, preliminary checks have determined the Meadowbrook campus is suitable for an Olympic-sized baseball or softball stadium, which will have to meet the International Olympic Committee (IOC) requirements for infrastructure like broadcasting, security, and public spaces.

“Hosting an emerging Olympic sport will bring significant benefits to the city, including economic growth, enhanced infrastructure, increased tourism, and community pride,” Mr Radich said in a report.

“It could also accelerate the development of local talent and boost participation and healthier lifestyles.

“Furthermore, it would provide a platform to showcase Logan to a global audience, potentially attracting future investment and development, therefore Council should actively advocate to host an Olympic event as part of the Games.”