Renovation of Progressive Field will include new clubhouses for Guardians, visitors
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you’re a fan of Progressive Field’s giant storage containers in the upper deck in right field, consider yourself warned.
The 2023 season will be your last chance to create a memory with them. Come opening day in 2024, they will be gone as part of a $202.5 million renovation of the Guardians’ ballpark.
The industrial sized storage containers will be replaced by a refurbished upper deck. It will feature a beer garden down the left field line and new open space for fans to gather in right field. Two view boxes on each side of home plate will be added along with new concession spaces and better views of the field and Cleveland’s skyline.
The renovations are part of a wide-ranging project scheduled to be completed by opening day 2025. It follows a $435 million lease agreement with the team, city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio that will keep the Guardians in Cleveland for at least another 15 years.
While the improvements to the ballpark will start surfacing in 2024, a critical part of the plan will go unseen by most fans. In an effort to keep the Guardians competitive and a favorable destination for free agents and other incoming talent, both clubhouses will undergo big changes by opening day 2025. While other parts of the ballpark have been improved over the years, the clubhouse facilities are the same since the park opened in 1994.
“This will give us a great opportunity to modernize our facilities,” said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations. “It will provide for strength and conditioning and athletic training areas.
“The way we integrate technology data will be much better served within the new clubhouse. The nutrition and food experience will be better for our players. ... All of those incremental improvements in totality will make a really big difference in our player and staff experience.”
The renovations will incorporate most of the current clubhouses and the lower concourse. Also included will be a Dugout Club for an estimated 300 fans with premium seating, the umpire’s locker room, batting cages, etc.
“Year over year we are continually striving to achieve our ultimate goal of winning a World Series championship for Cleveland,” said Antonetti. “To achieve that goal, we need to provide our players the adequate space and amenities to focus on training, recovery and rehabilitation. Those will be the biggest focus areas as we build the renovated clubhouse space.”
The Guardians explored the idea of moving their dugout from third base to the first base, but decided against it.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about that,” said Antonetti. “We did sun studies, logistical studies to figure out where the best place was. In the end we decided we were best served by staying where we are.”
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The last time the Guardians renovated the ballpark was during the 2015 offseason. The next year they went to the World Series before losing to the Cubs in seven games.
“We discussed the possibilities of upgrading our player facilities,” said Antonetti. “At the time we made the choice that we had limited funds and we wanted to explicitly focus on some fan-engaging elements.”
“This time we were fortunate to be able to allocate some of those funds which will better support our players and coaches.”
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