An effort is now underway in Mesa to raise funds for the construction of a museum celebrating the history and wonders of baseball.
The Play Ball Mesa Historical Museum facility will be an offshoot of the existing Mesa Historical Museum, which is located at 2345 N. Horne Street on the north end of downtown Mesa.
The project is animated by response to an existing baseball memorabilia exhibit in the museum, which has proven popular with locals and visitors alike. Gauging that response, museum officials decided that a separate facility housing an expanded baseball exhibit would likely prove successful.
That separate facility is located at 2331 N. Horne Street and includes a 4,000-square-foot auditorium. The larger structure was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1936 as the Lehi School and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Although in subsequent decades the auditorium has served as a gathering place for community meetings, it has since been deemed unsuitable for use due to its declining condition.
It is thought that it will take around $600,000 to repurpose the auditorium and update its electrical system. A fundraising campaign was launched in January, realizing to date more than $152,000 in contributions.
It is thought that work on the project could begin later this year or next year, with a rough completion date of sometime in 2026.
Baseball has always been wildly popular in the Grand Canyon State, with its local teams predating Arizona as a state. It is also the home to the Cactus League seeing major league teams playing off season for weeks every winter.
By Garry Boulard
