The Canberra Cavalry want to become the premier baseball ground in Australia after securing $5 million in government funding to redevelop Narrabundah Ballpark.
The Cavalry facilities are set for a major upgrade with refurbished locker rooms and the existing grandstand will feature a new bar, function room, bathrooms, broadcast booth and hall of fame.
The base lines will also be brought in so fans can be closer to the action as the club looks to make its game day experience the best in the country.
The project has been almost five years in the making with Cavalry officials putting the first wheels in motion after winning the 2013 Australian Baseball League title.
Canberra general manager Dan Amodio believes their ballpark is already the best place to watch baseball in Australia, but said the time had arrived for an upgrade.
"MIT Ballpark is already the most fun place to watch a game of baseball in Australia, hands down, however, it's old and it wasn't built for a professional team, it was built for grassroots development," Amodio said.
"As well as the grandstand development the locker rooms will be refurbished to give more of that big league feel and new batting cages will be connected to the rooms.
"The vision is to modernise the amenities while keeping that intimate community charm that Cavalry members and supporters have created and enjoyed over the past eight years.
"The goals is to improve the experience for our supporters and the vision was shaped by them, with the fans having given us a lot of feedback over the years."
Construction will begin at the end of February and be completed in time for next season, while two dozen extra seats will be fitted in the grandstand.
Membership prices will not increase next season and fans can have their names on display at the ballpark by purchasing commemorative bricks for $275, while major sponsors can bid to name the locker room.
"It's like having a building named after you at your university, only much cooler and better," Amodio said.
"If the fans come in and have a great experience then we provide a much greater opportunity for them to come back and our goal is to provide the best value in Canberra sports.
This article originally appeared on The Canberra Times
The base lines will also be brought in so fans can be closer to the action as the club looks to make its game day experience the best in the country.
The project has been almost five years in the making with Cavalry officials putting the first wheels in motion after winning the 2013 Australian Baseball League title.
Canberra general manager Dan Amodio believes their ballpark is already the best place to watch baseball in Australia, but said the time had arrived for an upgrade.
"MIT Ballpark is already the most fun place to watch a game of baseball in Australia, hands down, however, it's old and it wasn't built for a professional team, it was built for grassroots development," Amodio said.
"As well as the grandstand development the locker rooms will be refurbished to give more of that big league feel and new batting cages will be connected to the rooms.
"The vision is to modernise the amenities while keeping that intimate community charm that Cavalry members and supporters have created and enjoyed over the past eight years.
"The goals is to improve the experience for our supporters and the vision was shaped by them, with the fans having given us a lot of feedback over the years."
Construction will begin at the end of February and be completed in time for next season, while two dozen extra seats will be fitted in the grandstand.
Membership prices will not increase next season and fans can have their names on display at the ballpark by purchasing commemorative bricks for $275, while major sponsors can bid to name the locker room.
"It's like having a building named after you at your university, only much cooler and better," Amodio said.
"If the fans come in and have a great experience then we provide a much greater opportunity for them to come back and our goal is to provide the best value in Canberra sports.
This article originally appeared on The Canberra Times
"As well as the grandstand development the locker rooms will be refurbished to give more of that big league feel and new batting cages will be connected to the rooms.
"The vision is to modernise the amenities while keeping that intimate community charm that Cavalry members and supporters have created and enjoyed over the past eight years.
"The goals is to improve the experience for our supporters and the vision was shaped by them, with the fans having given us a lot of feedback over the years."
Construction will begin at the end of February and be completed in time for next season, while two dozen extra seats will be fitted in the grandstand.
Membership prices will not increase next season and fans can have their names on display at the ballpark by purchasing commemorative bricks for $275, while major sponsors can bid to name the locker room.
"It's like having a building named after you at your university, only much cooler and better," Amodio said.
"If the fans come in and have a great experience then we provide a much greater opportunity for them to come back and our goal is to provide the best value in Canberra sports.
This article originally appeared on The Canberra Times