It has been almost three years since the Shrine on Airline hosted a baseball team. Plans are in the works to redesign the facility from a baseball diamond into something a little different.
While events have been booked at the Shrine, plans are in the works to completely transform the baseball stadium, with Jefferson Parish taking the lead.
"The parish has dedicated $15 million now for the refurbishment of that stadium, I call it an adaptive reuse, to turn it into a...stadium that would accommodate football, rugby, and soccer," said Doug Thornton with ASM Global, the firm that manages the Shrine. "We've had some very productive conversations with the parish, and with the Saints who have the adjoining property right next door about future development out there and how that could work."
Thornton says the legislature has also set aside $10 million, for a total of $25 million in renovations to the stadium.
There have also been productive talks with the United Soccer League on bringing pro soccer to Metairie, said Thornton.
"We continue to have dialog with the USL soccer league about potential to bring a team here," he said.
NOLA Gold Rugby has been calling the Shrine home since the AAA Baby Cakes moved to Wichita, Kansas in 2019.
