CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Inside Progressive Field Friday afternoon construction workers worked frantically to put the finishing touches on what has been a two-year overhaul of the 32-year-old ballpark.
There is still work to be done in time for Tuesday afternoon’s home opener against the White Sox, including completion of the clubhouses and the service level, which received a complete makeover this offseason.
Friday the Guardians unveiled a portion of the renovations – a new team shop, the Key Bank North Coast Social and the Terrace Hall that replaced the outdated Terrace Club.
The Guardians declined to say if they came in on budget for the $202.5 million renovation as part of a $435 million project, but the team is covering any cost overruns.
Last October’s run to the ALCS compressed the construction timeline by nearly a month causing construction to continue for another month on the new Lexus Carnegie Club, which is scheduled to debut in early May.
The bleachers, remaining lower bowl seating, club seats as well as right field mezzanine and upper deck seats around home plate have all been replaced with new blue seats. The remaining original green seats down the foul lines in the upper deck will be replaced next offseason. Tedious concrete riser repair and sealing as well as expansion gasket replacement forced crews to replace the seats in phases over three offseasons.
The Guardians executive offices were gutted completely, and a fifth floor was added. The team shop, which will open on Tuesday, is also fully renovated, and remains in the same location.
The outdated Terrace Club has been replaced with two new spaces – the Key Bank North Coast Social and the Terrace Hall.
The KeyBank North Coast Social offers semi-private, open-air terrace box seating with exclusive access to an indoor lounge and preferred parking. Drawing inspiration from “eclectic” mid-century expression, elements of walnut, brass metal detailing, and marble paired with pops of blue wall finishes lean into art deco design in this upscale space. Boxes are available for single-game and multi-game purchase.
The Terrace Hall is a modern beer hall featuring stylish indoor and outdoor spaces – created in the image of “Metropolitan” – for fans to view the game, socialize, and enjoy a wide selection of local craft beers. Attention-grabbing design elements like the CLEVELAND bar globe light feature, as well as an exposed steel and wood baffle bar ceiling, add an industrial feel in a way that reinforces the refined, “retro” styling to the space.
Pictures and murals from Cleveland artists are prominently featured throughout the ballpark.
The Guardians also replaced the original dugout suites with a new infield lounge and field level boxes behind home plate.