Fort Myers Mayor Randall Henderson said on Tuesday the search to find a new baseball team for the City of Palms Park now includes Florida SouthWestern State College.
The park was the former spring training site of the Boston Red Sox until the end of their 2011 season. Since then, the city has been trying to find use for the park.
He said the college – formerly Edison State College – is looking at the feasibility of using the park once its baseball team starts up in 2016.
Henderson said the college would use the facility from February to October as opposed to a Major League Baseball team’s more seasonal stay. He also said Fort Myers would see visitors from other schools who would come to see their team play against the college.
Still, this doesn’t mean another Major League Baseball team in Fort Myers is off the table. Mayor Henderson said the Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays and other teams have expressed interest in using the park.
“What would be kind of an amazing thing to happen is if somehow they could coexist in that facility and then I think this community could have the best of both worlds,” he said.
Mayor Henderson said the possibility of both teams sharing the space has not yet been discussed.
