To promote a downtown Augusta baseball stadium as a regional attraction, Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver spoke to Columbia County officials and business leaders Wednesday.

Since he and Augusta GreenJackets owner Cal Ripken first discussed the idea in 2006, Mr. Copenhaver said he has garnered widespread support for building a $31.8 million minor league ballpark and multipurpose facility at the site of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame on Reynolds Street.

"It was a lot of work," he said. "I got a lot of people on board with this."

Organizations supporting a new stadium, Mr. Copenhaver said, include the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Augusta Sports Council and Augusta Tomorrow.

Mr. Copenhaver acknowledged that more support is needed for the stadium to come to fruition by 2011.

"We're making progress, but it's a long way from over," he said.

The mixed-use facility also might feature a hotel, offices, retail shops and restaurants.

The project could support as many as 900 jobs and generate $3.3 million in annual tax revenue for the city, according to literature Mr. Copenhaver passed out at the meeting of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The proposed public-private facility would be constructed with an amalgam of Tax Allocation District money, revenue bonds and private investments, he said.

Mr. Copenhaver said a downtown location for a stadium could be easily accessed by Columbia County residents via River Watch Parkway or Bobby Jones Expressway for south Augustans.