Camden County Government Buying Cash-Strapped Campbell's Field

By Mike Dougherty

CAMDEN, NJ. (CBS) -- The Camden County government has agreed to buy Campbell's Field to save the cash-strapped baseball team that plays there.

The Riversharks were being sued because the team owed more than $4-million in back rent, but the bank backed off this week and approved a deal to sell the ballpark to the county.

The 6,700 seat stadium cost more than $20-million to build in 2001. Freeholder Lou Cappelli says getting it for just $3.5-million is a great deal for the county.

"We view the baseball field as a significant asset for the Camden Waterfront," he says. "We thought it was important to keep baseball on the waterfront and to provide this type of family entertainment at an affordable price"

Cappelli says the plan now is to keep it running as it has for the past 14 years, with the Riversharks and Rutgers Baseball teams playing there.

County officials are currently discussing what renovations could be made to improve the experience for fans.