West End Field

[gs3]

On my flight back into GV Sunday, we came in from the north over downtown, nice and clear (wish I would have had my camera). The ballpark makes a nice impact! The infield and outfield were all clearly marked (obviously no green grass), the roof showing up well, covers a much bigger area than you realize. From the air, the ballpark looked ready to open. Can't wait!

[vicupstate]

According to a Public Notice snail mail I received from the city, a new building is going up in the West End at 18 S. Markley St. Tad Mallory is the applicant. The Certificate of appropriateness was granted this month, now it is under review for approval of the parking and exterior building patterning.

[RestedTraveler]

Isn't that the corner across S. Markley from the Firehouse/West End Coffee/Ticket Office? I noticed yesterday that it had been cleared.

[vicupstate]

Isn't that the corner across S. Markley from the Firehouse/West End Coffee/Ticket Office? I noticed yesterday that it had been cleared.

If so, that is most likely the new location for West End Coffee.

[RestedTraveler]

Sunday, January 1, 2006:

I took advantage of the holiday combined with today being a Sunday (and lack of construction) and went down to see how things are progressing.

Words cannot describe, so let me share these:

The view from the Field Street (Right Field Line) Entrance:

The view from the 12th row behind Home Plate:

The view down the left field stands from behind Home Plate:

The view of the infield from down the Right Field Line:

The view of the stands from same position down the Right Field Line:

The view of the infield and the stands from the Picnic Terrace:

The view of the 30' Tall "Greenville Monster" and Left and Center Fields from the Picnic Terrace

April 6 is just around the corner!

[GvilleSC]

That's awesome! Great Pics!

I really like the one with the CBD's skyline in the background. Can't wait for some baseball!!!

[RestedTraveler]

Here's another one for you then:

This was taken from the very right field corner of the Picnic Terrace.

[jfl25]

I wish some of the other developers of the upcoming projects would take lessons from this developer.This project has really took shape well and in a short amount of time.

[RestedTraveler]

Does anybody have any information about public art (or art in general) that may have been commissioned for the new ballpark?

I came across this photo of Fifth Third Field in Toledo Ohio:

It's of some kids of little-league age climbing on a garbage can and otherwise doing whatever they can to try to get a peek at a ballgam through a hole in an old wooden outfield wall. This seems very family-oriented (or kid-oriented at least) and looks like something right off of the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.

I'd like to see something like this placed outside of the new ballpark once it's completed.

[gs3]

Great pics RT!

[GvilleSC]

Wow, thanks I do like that picture! The only bad thing about this angle is that a lot of the buildings are hidden behind one another. Like the Liberty Sqare buildings, but then again, theyre not usually visible from most angles. But I do like how you can see the Bookends. Not to get your hopes up or just get you down, but just imagine this picture in let's say 5 years! There will hopefully be a new Federal Court House, The Pinnacle, and dare I say the Tower at Falls and Broad!? and many more...

[RestedTraveler]

Yea...the Pinnacle on Main, the Federal Courthouse, and the Camperdown should all be pretty visible from this angle (and the Tower at Falls and Broad, too, if it comes to fruition).

[TREY]

I was at the city council work session today and hear a update from the Drive management. Most of the information was covered in the paper today but did hear a few new things.

Will be installing turf in two weeks

Will be ready for opening day on April 6

Will start converting firehouse for ticket sales next week

They are way over budget

Construction crews are working 7 days a week 16 hour days

Light and sound is specially designed to be contained in ballpark as much as possible (more and smaller lights and speakers)

Possible open house before season starts.

The team owners and management seem to have their act together.

[goodbye]

Thanks for that inside info, TREY! It will be very interesting to see how they end up lighting the field then.

[Greenville]

I was at the city council work session today and hear a update from the Drive management. Most of the information was covered in the paper today but did hear a few new things.

Will be installing turf in two weeks

Will be ready for opening day on April 6

Will start converting firehouse for ticket sales next week

They are way over budget

Construction crews are working 7 days a week 16 hour days

Light and sound is specially designed to be contained in ballpark as much as possible (more and smaller lights and speakers)

Possible open house before season starts.

The team owners and management seem to have their act together.

The playing surface will be turf and not grass?

[RestedTraveler]

The playing surface will be turf and not grass?

Turf = grass. It's a prescription blend of Kentucky Bluegrass and some others, as I understand it.

[goodbye]

As long as it's green and doesn't flood every time it rains (i.e. Municipal Stadium), I'll be happy with whatever they use. I am getting anxious to see a game (or two...three...etc...) from the "upper" deck in the Spring.

[RestedTraveler]

As long as it's green and doesn't flood every time it rains (i.e. Municipal Stadium), I'll be happy with whatever they use. I am getting anxious to see a game (or two...three...etc...) from the "upper" deck in the Spring.

Ugh. That stuff they play on artificial turf ain't baseball. The drainage at the new ballpark is such that the field can withstand an 8 minute microburst and be ready to play in under 30 minutes.

I'm ready to take in a few games now, but I'll wait until April 6th.

[goodbye]

I'm not a fan of artificial turf myself either, but at least I wouldn't have to play on it. Some of the new A turf looks very convincing, but you can't replicate the real thing no matter how hard you try. And in any case, who'd really want to do that in an area where grass grows greener than just about anywere else in the country?

[RestedTraveler]

Saturday, January 21, 2006:

Here are a few photos to give you the idea of what it will be like to enter the ballpark from the Field Street (Right Field) Entrance.

Facing the entrance and looking Left:

Facing the entrance and looking Right:

Approaching the steps up into the ballpark:

At the top of the steps (notice that the door and the manual scoreboard have been cut into our replica Green Monster):

Looking left to the stands:

[goodbye]

Thanks for that great photo update, RT! This makes my baseball appetite even larger. It would be great to have "upper" deck seats, aye? What a change we'll witness across the Greenville skyline over the next several years.

[gs3]

Great photo update RT! The photo from inside the ballpark with the seats below and the box seats above is great! I can picture being there for a game!

[Spartan]

Ugh. That stuff they play on artificial turf ain't baseball. The drainage at the new ballpark is such that the field can withstand an 8 minute microburst and be ready to play in under 30 minutes.

That is impressive.

[RestedTraveler]

If anyone is interested in the full-sized photos I've taken of the ballpark construction, I've just uploaded quite a few of them to this photo set on my flickr account.

[gs3]

Cool. Thanks RT!