HUNTSVILLE, Alabama _ A proposal to sell Joe Davis Stadium for retail development and build a downtown baseball stadium has been benched, at least for now.

Mayor Tommy Battle made a good call delaying the new stadium while pursuing other recreational development in John Hunt Park. A downtown stadium is still worthy of study, but the other projects are more doable at this juncture.

Battle told Times city hall reporter Steve Doyle that too many key questions need to be answered before a public referendum is scheduled on relocating the Huntsville Stars from aging Joe Davis Stadium on Memorial Parkway, namely: whether the Huntsville Housing Authority will relocate Searcy Homes from the targeted development site; the cost of a stadium; and more importantly, financial and fan marketing commitments from Stars owners.

The team drew only an average of 1,582 fans for 59 home games last year, lowest in the Southern League.

As we've said before in this space, a "build-it-and-they'll come" strategy won't work by itself. Stars management will need to have significant buy-in for any new stadium to justify the cost.

The stadium relocation was the linchpin in a multimillion-dollar plan to make John Hunt Park - Huntsville's first airfield before Huntsville International Airport was built in the 1970s - into a major recreational hub. Proposed projects include an indoor 4,000-seat sports arena, open air concert venue, a third ice rink, more tennis courts, a new playground with splash park and more hiking and running paths.

Conceptual drawings in recent public forums show greenways connecting John Hunt Park with Brahan Spring International Park and the city Natatorium indoor swimming complex, as well as the Merrimack Mill Village soccer complex.

Another part of the plan recommends a large soccer complex beside nearby McDonnell Elementary School and converting John Hunt Park soccer fields into fields for lacrosse, rugby and other team sports.