Inside Scoop · October 16, 2026
The City is looking for someone to run CaroMont Health Park
On October 16 the City of Gastonia opened bidding to operate and manage the ballpark. Proposals are due November 30. Here's what the RFP says and what it means for a team owned by Gastonia.
On October 16, 2026, the City of Gastonia issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a firm to "operate, manage and promote" CaroMont Health Park, the 5,000-seat ballpark at the heart of the FUSE District downtown.
It's the first formal step since the Ghost Peppers folded on September 30, and it's worth reading closely. It shapes who runs the ballpark, and how the next team gets there.
The announcement, in plain terms
- The City is hiring a facility manager, not picking a team. The winner would handle budgets, maintenance, year-round event booking, advertising and sponsorship sales, marketing and community relations.
- A team is still the priority. In the City's words: "Securing and maintaining a capable and capitalized high-level sports team as the primary tenant is a priority." Every proposal has to explain how it would attract one.
- No league is required. The Atlantic League is mentioned only as the ballpark's tenant since 2021.
Timeline
- October 16, 2026: RFP issued.
- Any time before the deadline: facility tours, by request.
- 5:00 p.m., Monday, November 30, 2026: proposals due. Late proposals are sent back.
- After that: the City reviews proposals as they arrive. It hasn't published dates for interviews, a decision or City Council approval.
What a proposal has to include
- A track record: 10 years of facility management history, at least two past management contracts with budgets and marketing plans, public facilities managed, and events booked at comparable venues.
- Proof of capacity: financial capability, key staff and resumes, and client references.
- An operating plan: management approach, food service and catering, a year-round pro forma, revenue and expense strategies, sample reports to the City, and estimated local jobs.
- A booking and marketing plan, including how they'd land an anchor sports tenant.
- Local business use: which Gastonia-area firms they'd hire or subcontract.
- Litigation history for the past five years.
- The package: 50 pages or fewer, 10 bound copies plus an electronic copy, delivered to the City's Economic Development office.
Firms can team up or bid as joint ventures. The City can reject any or all proposals, and proposals become public records.
What it means for a team owned by Gastonia
- The RFP is written for experienced venue operators. The clearest role for community ownership isn't bidding to run the building. It's being the answer to the City's top priority: a capable, capitalized team that belongs to the people in the seats.
- Every operator who bids has to explain how they'll bring a team. We want them to know Gastonia is ready to stand behind one.
- That makes this list matter more than ever. Every name on it is evidence that this community will show up for a team it owns.
How you can help
- Work in venue management, sports operations or events, or know someone who does? Tell us. Those connections matter right now.
- Share this post with one person who cares about baseball in Gastonia.
- Not on the list yet? Join here. It's non-binding.
Read the City's announcement and the full RFP at gastonianc.gov/caromont-rfp. Questions about the RFP itself go to the City's Economic Development office.