Is this still in the going?
DR1 Feb. 2005
Baseball-land
President Leonel Fernandez has approved the turning of the Quisqueya Ball Park into a baseball theme park – Baseball Land.
Project promoter, engineer Jesus Rodriguez Sandoval says it would be more like the Arlington Ballpark of Texas, the Coors Field of Colorado or the Turner Field of Atlanta. The project calls for the remodeling and expansion of the Quisqueya Ball park, construction of a 28,000 square meter tower, a four-star hotel with 36,443 square meters of construction, 14 towers for apartments and four villas with 15,396 square meters of construction, a 7,790 square meter shopping mall, a 11,330 square meter baseball museum, a 30,400 meter parking building, plazas, green areas and recreational areas.
Works began early this month with the relocation of the baseball offices located within the stadium.
Rodriguez recently presented the project to the visiting vice president of the Mets, Jeff Wilpor and Mets general manager Omar Minaya who met at his home. President Leonel Fernandez also was there for the meeting. During the meeting, the possible visit of the Mets during the 2006 spring training was discussed, as well as the possibility of pMajor League Baseball games being played here in 2007, when Baseball Land complex would be completed.
More than 100 Dominicans are expected to be on MLB rosters come the 2005 season. The Listin Diario reports that on 16 November, President Fernandez had spoken with the owner of the Anaheim Angels, Arte Moreno and invited that team to hold their spring training events in Santo Domingo, an invitation that was well received. The call came on occasion of Vladimir Guerrero winning the Most Valuable Player award of the American League.