Ozark seeks Price Cutter Park plan

Ozark Mayor Donna McQuay said she’s disappointed with the loss of one of the city’s sources of sporting entertainment, but the loss isn’t a big one to the city in terms of sales tax revenues.

“Well, every business you lose hurts,” McQuay said. “It isn’t devastating to us, but it’s just the idea that we had something very unique in the community.”

She said she thinks the team probably decided to leave because of financial problems, including outstanding debts to the Clarion Hotel and the companies in charge of signage and promotional giveaways.

Additionally, Christian County Sheriff Mike Robertson and his staff seized the team’s former management offices Jan. 14 due to a $17,000 debt owed to Union Planters Bank.

Despite the bleak financial picture for the stadium’s former inhabitants, McQuay said that she’s remaining optimistic.

“I’m not sure (the stadium is) dead yet,” she said. “My cup is always half full, not half empty, and we’re still looking at prospects.”

Those prospects might include another baseball team tenant or use as a municipal stadium available to the public on a rental basis.

Tim Marting, director of business development for American Sports Entertainment, the parent company of Price Cutter Park owner Ozark Mountain Stadium, said he and the city of Ozark are trying to reach a joint agreement for use of the stadium.

“If the city wants to use the ballpark, we’d like to create some type of a joint arrangement where the ballpark would be accessible to the general public for various uses,” he said. “But since it’s a privately held stadium right now, it would require some public support from the city of Ozark or Christian County in return for having the ability to rent it to any of its residents.”

Marting said he’s working to have a plan in place in the next few weeks to present to American Sports Entertainment principal Horn Chen and his fellow investors.

“I’m trying to work something out with Donna (McQuay), so I can take that to Mr. Chen and the rest of his group to say ‘Look, here’s a way that the ballpark can be utilized; it’ll be no out-of-pocket fee to you or the city,’” Marting said. “I’m trying to get the users to pay for any associated cost to open that stadium maybe 60 or 70 times a year.”

Both Marting and McQuay declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations, though both cited Feb. 1 as an approximate goal to complete a deal for use of the stadium.