In the early 90s, the city of Homestead, Florida built a ballpark designed to attract a major league team looking to relocate its spring training facilities. Then, 20 years ago this week, Hurricane Andrew all but blew Homestead off the map. The ballpark was rebuilt, but no team ever came to fill it and since then it has been a source of misplaced pride, false hope, fights, litigation and everything else you can imagine.
The Miami Herald has a long, in-depth story about the La Ley Sports Complex its history and its battles. It’s fascinating stuff that puts one in mind of all of the bad sports stadium plans you’ve heard about over the years mixed with a healthy dose of Springfield’s Monorail.