Cooley Law School Stadium, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, will be receiving a $22 million dollar renovation. First, there will be an $11 million renovation to upgrade and modernize the ballpark itself. There will also be an $11 million project called ‘The Outfield’, that is a privately funded residential and commercial development venture. There will also be a state-of-the-art high-definition video board that will be attached to the Outfield complex, but paid for by the Lugnuts. Along with the new video board, other upgrades will include and 360 degree walk-around concourse, and enhanced picnic area, new kids playground, upgrades to the clubhouses, refurbished seating, and brand new playing surface, renovated suites, an energy-efficient lighting and window system, and a new special event facility.

“This revolutionary project is a model for how the private and public sectors can work together to preserve a community asset while also propelling further economic growth downtown,” Lugnuts owner Tom Dickson stated in a press release. “It’s inclusion of a mixed-use development directly in the outfield of the ballpark delivers a twist that is unprecedented in the industry, creating more energy in both the ballpark and surrounding downtown Stadium District.”

This new Outfield project will include about 80 residential units as well a restaurant.  The development will be constructed over the existing outfield wall, and will give some of the residents to have front row seats to the games. The Lugnuts organization will be working with the city to secure City Council approval by May 1st, and want the renovations to be completed over the next two off-seasons.

“The opening of the stadium in 1996 dramatically turned around the downtown area and catalyzed capital-area and regional development,” Lansing mayor Virg Bernero stated in the same press release. “With this renovation, we’re solidifying a crown jewel in Cooley Law School Stadium and ensuring the Lugnuts remain an amazing entertainment option for Lansing area patrons for the next twenty years.”

This is great news for the city, and for Lugnuts fans, and I really look forward to experiencing the finished product. We have plans to attend a Lugnuts game on May 4th, so hopefully the weather is at least a little bit warmer by then, and we can enjoy another Star Wars day. We didn’t have much luck in our two trips to Lansing last season.

Photos courtesy of the Lansing LugNuts