Harrisburg plans major ballpark makeover

The Ultimate Sports Road Trip hit the finish in the AA Eastern League last summer. But it looks like a return visit to Harrisburg’s Commerce Bank Park will be in the offing for 2010.

In recent weeks, the Harrisburg Senators announced a renovation plan for Commerce Bank Park. But this will not be an ordinary spruce up of a stadium. Instead, they will be plowing $45-million into their venue, and when finished, it will pretty much be a totally new structure.

Planned for 2009 are the following improvements:

-A public plaza and entrance to be constructed in the left field corner.
-A boardwalk surrounding the outfield to be constructed between the foul poles.
-A complete upgrade to the scoreboard.
-A new left-field seating area, an outfield bar complete with drink rails, and new seating underneath the scoreboard.
-A new outfield wall to be constructed with static advertisement panels.
-A new 8,600-square-foot Operations Building housing the Senators front offices, ranger, security, first aid and the new box office along with the new Senators souvenir store, concession stand, and public rest rooms.

By 2010, the remake of the stadium will be complete with the addition of the following amenities:

-Complete new seating bowl upgrades with individual chair back seats replacing the present bench seating and roofing covering the majority of the seating bowl.
-Construction of 20 suites with amenities including a glass wall located in the front of the suite to see the field and a in the back of the suite to see the city skyline.
-A new sound system.
-The creation of a “Midway” with activities and specialty areas geared towards children, teenagers and families.
-The completion of new concessions and restrooms on elevated concourses.
-Upgraded picnic areas which effectively double the size of the stadium picnic facilities.
-The reconfiguration of field lights removal of two lights, addition of fixtures to remaining eight lights, relamp and re-aim of all lights, addition of quartz lighting bank for emergency purposes.
-The upgrade of the field-level concourse with brick pavers.
-A new press box including new media and scoreboard control rooms.
-A complete renovation of existing buildings, including the home and visitors clubhouses and the restroom facilities.
-The development of a reserved parking lot.

This ballpark is located in one of the nicest settings anywhere, nestled amidst City Island Park in the middle of the Susquehanna River, with a great view of the Harrisburg skyline across the water. Come next year, this should become one of the elite ballparks in the Eastern League.