EDMONTON, AB - The Edmonton Prospects announced today that the organization will be submitting a formal proposal to the City for ballpark upgrades at RE/MAX Field, where the team has played since 2013.
The proposal is expected to be delivered on or prior to February 15th.
“The proposal is about finishing the work we started only a few years ago,” said Patrick Cassidy, the Prospects owner. “Our group is first and foremost made up of people who are passionate about baseball and driven by a primary goal to bring stability, certainty, sustainability, and excitement to the baseball landscape in Edmonton and Western Canada for that matter. We believe the Edmonton Prospects and the Western Canadian Baseball League together are the absolute best fit for this part of the world and for the growth and development of baseball in Western Canada.” ”
Long-Term Stability
The Prospects estimate costs for the upgrades to be in the $2.75M to $3.25M range, with all costs being taken on by the organization in exchange for a 25-year lease at RE/MAX Field. Previously, the Prospects had signed a 4-year lease with the City of Edmonton which is set to expire following the 2019 WCBL season. While a mutual fifth-year option was incorporated into the agreement, the option will not be exercised by the city.
According to a team release, the bulk of the upgrades to the ballpark are to address badly-needed energy inefficiencies and enhancements to improve the fan experience. Cassidy pointed out specifically that they want to replace the giant “Lite-Brite” looking scoreboard in the outfield, stating that it was built in the ’50s and that they’re looking to replace it with a brand new LED screen that extends further along the outfield wall. They also want to focus on the gameday experience for families, citing that one of the plans they have is to include a kid zone down the third baseline. Specifically, Cassidy stated that it’s sometimes difficult for a young kid to pay attention to 9-innings of baseball and having an option to do other things during gameday would improve the family experience.
The Prospects have firmly established themselves as one of Canada’s premier baseball clubs, ranking 14th in all of Summer Collegiate Baseball last year with an average game attendance of 2,050 spectators. Since moving to the then-Telus Field in 2013, the organization has increased their attendance annually by 18-24%.
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