GRAND CHUTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – In just a few months, much of Fox Cities Stadium will have a new look.
“It’s big league,” Manager Joe Ayrault said. “I mean, seeing the stuff come up at the end of the season and saw what they were going to do with the renovations — it’s going to be incredible.”
Ayrault has been looking forward to the updated facilities for coaches and players.
“The access — I mean we have two cages, the training room’s a lot bigger, we have access for any female staff that comes in. Meeting rooms, I mean, you name it.”
But fans will also have something to look forward to in the spring. Additional outfield seating and a slide behind the left field fence highlight some of the future fan amenities.
Project manager John Stumpf said thanks to warm weather, the improvements should be completed by the start of the season.
“We’ll be done by the March 31st date. There’s some landscaping types of things that require certain temperatures which will extend past then, but the team will have the facilities ready.”
Timber Rattlers President and CEO Rob Zerjav said in September when construction just started that the project would cost roughly $10 million. He also noted that it would not affect taxpayers.
“This is a privately owned stadium now, so we understand the business model. We knew that getting into it. So we’re more than happy to keep it as a privately funded stadium.”
The features have Ayrault excited not just for himself and his players, but fans as well.
“I think we’re going to have more fans come out this year after they come to a few games, see what it looks like — the renovations, everything that’s in there. I’m sure kids are going to want to go down the slide. It’s going to be fun.”
Renovations will allow the stadium to meet the new standards for Minor League Baseball facilities.
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