Montreal mayor to meet with group aiming to bring back MLB

Attachment 8595

Montreal mayor Valerie Plante will meet Friday with Stephen Bronfman and Mitch Garber, who head a group of investors trying to bring Major League Baseball back to the city, the Montreal Gazette reported.

“I can’t wait to look into the state of affairs, to get started on this issue and see how we can move forward and look at the possibility of bringing back a team to Montreal, because in Montreal, we love baseball,” Plante said.

Bronfman and Garber are seeking an expansion team or the relocation of an existing MLB franchise.

Plante’s apparent positive attitude toward bringing back MLB is counter to a firm commitment during her election campaign, when she vowed that she wouldn't spend taxpayer money on a new baseball stadium without a public referendum.

According to the Gazette, Bronfman’s promise that his group was looking for help not cash might've been behind Plante's being open to talking about baseball in Montreal. That might mean the investors are looking for the city to aid them in securing land for a new stadium.

The city was home to the Expos from 1969-2004, when the team left for Washington to become the Nationals.

The team's former home in Montreal, Olympic Stadium, has played host to spring exhibitions in recent years, including between the Cardinals and Blue Jays last month, but the facility generally is regarded as not suitable for a new team.