ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – A local baseball team will not only be getting a new name for next season, but also a new home to play in.
The Bullfrogs finally have their own Field of Dreams.
The dirt was tossed at Capital Credit Union Park on Friday afternoon. The location is on Holmgren Way near Lambeau Field and is expected to be open in 2019.
Vern Stenman the President of Big Top Baseball, which owns the Bullfrogs, emphasized that the facility can serve multiple roles.
“Baseball is going to lead the experience that’s always going to be number one, but soccer, concerts, entertainment that’s what this area is going to continue to be known for,” he explains.
The old CTI Concrete building next door, which is a 17,000 square foot warehouse, will be renovated to include a team store, concessions, and suites for watching the game. Stenman says those fans will have an up close and personal view of the action.
“If you’re sitting in one of our suites you’re going to be about 110 feet from home plate, which is really on top of the action,” he says. “This is going to be a very intimate facility.”
Team and city officials are hoping the location of the field will create a boom for the community. Resident Mark Reed, who lives down the street from the future site, agrees in their assessment.
“I think it’s just going to bring more business for this area and help everybody out,” he says.
The unknown quantity in this equation going forward is the name of the franchise. The franchise has narrowed down the search to seven fan submitted ideas for the name that reflect local interests. Fan Mark Reed isn’t so confident on this front.
“That one I don’t know, we’ll just have to see I guess,” he says.
Officials said they expect to make a decision on the name of the franchise in the next couple of months.
