Nashua, Silver Knights finalize 15-year lease for Holman Stadium
· Yahoo Sports
Nashua officials have finalized a new 15-year lease with Granite Diamond LLC, the ownership group of the Nashua Silver Knights, ensuring the team will call historic Holman Stadium home through the early 2040s.
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Nashua officials said the lease, unanimously approved by the city’s Board of Aldermen, points to a strong partnership between the Gate City, the Silver Knights and the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
"This agreement secures the future of summer collegiate baseball in Nashua and ensures that generations of residents and visitors will continue to enjoy America's pastime at Holman Stadium," Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said in a statement.
Under the terms of the agreement, the lease will operate in three renewable five-year increments, creating a 15-year partnership that provides long-term assurances for both the city and the Silver Knights.
The new lease includes an approximately 10% rent increase, officials said. The current deal was due to end this year, with negotiations held during the offseason.
According to the terms of the new lease, Granite Diamond will pay the city $1,100 per home game, regular season or playoff, during the 2026-30 seasons.
If the parties agree to extend the agreement, Granite Diamond will pay Nashua $1,200 per home game, regular season or playoff, during the 2031-35 seasons. If the agreement is extended beyond 2035, the team will pay the Gate City $1,300 per home contest, regular season or playoff, during the 2036-40 seasons.
Granite Diamond anticipates a typical home schedule will consist of approximately 32 home games to be played beginning on or around Memorial Day week and ending around mid-August each year, with the possibility of playoff games.
The team will pay the city in full on or before May 1 of each calendar year during the term of the agreement. For any game that is rained out or otherwise canceled due to weather with no make-up date, the city will refund the per-game fee to Granite Diamond within 30 days following the end of the season.
"The Silver Knights are thrilled to extend our partnership with the City of Nashua and continue calling historic Holman Stadium our home," said John Creedon Jr., owner and president of Granite Diamond and the Silver Knights. “For the past 15 seasons, we have proudly created memories for families, fans, players, and visitors, while working together to preserve one of New England’s iconic ballparks."
Built in the late 1930s as one of Nashua’s Works Progress Administration projects, Holman Stadium was in the national spotlight 10 years later when the Brooklyn Dodgers, who had established a minor league team in Nashua, signed two Black players to their roster.
The signing of the two young men — Don Newcombe, who would go on to stardom as a Cy Young Award winner, and Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella — to the Nashua Dodgers’ 1946 team made the minor league club the first racially integrated professional baseball team in the U.S.
The stadium is named in honor of Nashua’s 19th mayor, Charles Holman, and undergone recent upgrades, including new lighting, fire suppression, masonry repointing, and a renovated press box. Additional improvements, including refurbishing the locker rooms, are planned for the near future.
"Holman Stadium is more than a baseball venue. It's a gathering place for athletic events, our July 4th fireworks displays, and festivals," Donchess said. "We appreciate the Silver Knights' commitment to this historic landmark."
The newly formed Holman Stadium Activation Committee has been tasked with identifying opportunities for the stadium to host events between games and seasons.
Since their formation in 2011, the Silver Knights have won six league championships and are scheduled to host the 2026 Futures Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game on July 21.