The Board of Public Works and Safety in Kokomo conditionally awarded the lease and operation of Kokomo Municipal Stadium to Bullpen Ventures on July 2, 2025, pending the company's formal acceptance into a collegiate summer baseball league and successful negotiation of a lease-use agreement with the city.

Mayor Tyler Elmore told the board he convened a selection committee to review four timely proposals received in response to the city's request for proposals. Elmore said the committee prioritized responsiveness to the RFP, financial terms, experience, community impact and long-term operational viability and recommended a local organization with existing Kokomo ties. "We would like to request and recommend that the board approve the bid packet and application for Bullpen Ventures," Elmore said.

A memorandum read into the record explained the conditional award: it is contingent on formal league acceptance of Bullpen Ventures and completion of a mutually acceptable lease-use agreement between the city and Bullpen Ventures. The memo said staff will finalize and submit the lease-use agreement for board approval once those conditions are met.

Blake Hibler, president of Bullpen Ventures, thanked the board and described the company’s goals for the stadium. "We really do see this as a community asset. We want to revitalize the stadium and the team," Hibler said. He added the organization looks forward to beginning play in May 2026 if league acceptance and lease negotiations conclude successfully.

The board voted on a motion to conditionally award the lease-use agreement to Bullpen Ventures. After the motion and a second, the board chair called for and received ayes; the motion carried.

The conditional award does not finalize a contract or obligate the city until the league confirms Bullpen Ventures' admission and a lease-use agreement is executed and approved by the board. City staff said they will assist Bullpen Ventures with the league-acceptance process and return to the board with a final lease-use agreement for approval.

No dollar amounts for the lease or operational subsidies were presented at the July 2 meeting, and the conditional award included no immediate financial commitment by the board.