CLEVELAND — Within minutes of recording the final out of the 2023 home season, work began immediately on the off-season transformation of Progressive Field. Crews have already removed the seats in section 577 before demolition begins of the left field upper deck, while in the right, crews are removing the standing-room-only shipping container spaces before demolition begins on the concrete there.
"We're doing the upper decks on both sides, upper deck right field will become a group party area and then upper deck left will be an extension of the Terrace Club," said Jim Folk, Guardians Vice President of Ballpark Improvements.
And above it will be a similar bar and open-air gathering space. The Terrace Club will take two off-seasons to complete, but, Folk said, "the upper deck portions will be ready to go Opening Day of next year."
To get to this point, crews will need to remove a lot of concrete — work carried out by cranes so big they've removed Progressive Field's turf and built what they've dubbed the "Hickory Highway," a road on the field of giant timbers.
"There's going to be two massive cranes on the field in the next probably three weeks," Folk said. "And they are massive, and they've got to ride on something other than the sand that Brandon Koehnke's been managing for the last 30 years. So the "Hickory Highway" is two roadways — one from the elephant gate in the left field corner down the third base line to home plate. The other's a road going across the field and then in front of right outfield. And so those two cranes will sit there and do the demolition work that's got to take place to remove the concrete seating structures to create those gathering spaces that we're going to have."
Fans will also see all new seating in the lower bowl by the next opening day, with the old seats, original to the ballpark, being replaced this offseason. Along East 9th Street, the demolition that started during the season for the new kitchen and commissary is already being framed out in steel, with a steelworkers tip of the cap to the retiring Terry Francona.
The folks there wish Tito had a few more games taking the team late into October, but they're taking advantage of the chance to start early.
"I wish we were getting ready to host 35,000 people here for a ballgame but missing that opportunity, with the weather we've got right now, I have yet to meet a construction person to say that they're ahead of schedule, but they are really knocking it out," Folk said.
The team earlier this year highlighted the following aspects of the projects:
Revamped Upper Deck
The revamped Upper Deck will feature multiple social spaces for fans to enjoy the game. The new-look Upper Deck will feature a Beer Garden down the left field line, a new group outing space in right field, and new concession spaces, including two new View Box bars that will flank home plate and allow for more open sightlines from the Upper Deck concourse.
Terrace Hub
The current Terrace Club will be reimagined as an open-air hub with terraced-ticketed seating on the 200 and 300-levels, and a new expansive authentic-to-Cleveland Beer Hall food and beverage experience on the 400-level that will be open to all ticketed patrons at Progressive Field. The ticketed seating sections will have their own private club space on the 300-level.
Dugout Club
The new Dugout Club will combine the best of both worlds when it comes to premium seating, allowing for the same great field-level seats that currently exist while creating a new exclusive lounge behind home plate. The Club will also feature seven private lounges to allow for groups to enjoy an exclusive experience.
Clubhouses & Service Level
Both clubhouses, as well as the ballpark Service Level, will be updated for the first time since the ballpark opened in 1994. The new home clubhouse will be completely reimagined with a focus on player amenities in performance, training and recovery.
Through these renovations, we will significantly improve our ability to support player preparation, performance, and recovery through expanded and enhanced strength and conditioning and athletic training areas, improved kitchen facilities, more robust technological support for players, coaches, and staff members, among other improvements.
E. 9th Street Building
To allow for the clubhouse expansion, a new four-level E. 9th street building will be erected in right field to allow for a new kitchen and commissary for the Guardians concessionaire, as well as additional storage facilities for the ballpark. The rooftop of the new E. 9th street building will connect to the Upper Concourse and serve as a new group space at Progressive Field.
Cleveland Guardians Front Office
The Guardians Front Office will also be fully renovated for the first time since 1994. As part of the renovation, the Guardians will add a fifth floor to the current four-level structure.
Project Funding
The funding for the projects will be supported by the new lease agreement which extends the current lease to 2036 (with potential options to extent to 2046) and was agreed upon between the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, State of Ohio, the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland and the Cleveland Guardians. The estimated total of the projects will be $202.5 million with $67.5 million coming from the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians are also responsible to provide additional funds to cover cost overages, if any, that may result from the projects.
Project Timing
The Guardians expect all renovations to be completed by the 2025 season. The schematic design process is close to completion, and the majority of the 2023 season will focus on design development with the hope of starting construction at the end of the 2023 season.
2024 Opening Day Project Completion:
• Upper Deck Experience
• E. 9th Street Building
2025 Opening Day Project Completion:
• Terrace Hub
• Dugout Club
• Clubhouses & Service Level
• Administrative Offices
