Mayor Jim Watson says the capital will be home to a professional baseball team in 2014.
The mayor made the announcement via Twitter Thursday morning.
Watson says the city has reached a deal with Beacon Sports Capital Partners to lease and renovate the Ottawa Stadium on Coventry Road.
Once the agreement is finalized, the lease will kick in as off January 2013.
Beacon Sports has also reached a tentative deal with the Eastern League to bring a Double A baseball team to the city.
The announcement has generated some excitement among baseball fans in the capital.
“I’m a big baseball fan and I’d love to see Ottawa get a team back,” said one resident.
"Better for the economy. Better for the area. I think it will draw more folks out cause there isn't a lot really going on in terms of sports other than the Senators here," said another.
“It’s going to be a great year for sports fans in the city of Ottawa,” Mayor Jim Watson said about 2014. "Where we're going to see the return of football. We're going to see the start of professional soccer and we're going to have Double A pro ball in Ottawa for fans to enjoy,” he added.
The deal will force the Ottawa Fat Cats to find a new place to play.
3,100 people have already committed cash for AA tickets in a drive lead by David Gourlay.
“Really, the community is rounding third, heading for home so this is a very exciting day for Ottawa,” Gourlay said.
Ottawa and Beacon Sports would share the tab for $10 million in renovations to the Coventry Road field.
The proposed plan will be considered by the Finance and Economic Development Committee in October.
With a report from CTV's Norman Fetterley
