We’re going to see more changes at Modern Woodmen Park for 2015, as the Davenport City Council approved a concourse expansion proposed by the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League).
The city will spend $803,027 on an expansion of the concourse in the northwest corner of the ballpark, an area currently devoted to storage and groundskeeping equipment.
“We’re between a railroad, the river and two city parks, so it gets pretty cramped,” River Bandits GM Andrew Chesser told the Quad City Times. “We’ve been looking for extra space to entertain our fans and guests.”
The $803,027 will be repaid over eight years, so the annual payment doesn’t actually meet the $375,000 required by team’s lease for annual capital improvements.
To say that Modern Woodmen Park is one of the most dynamic ballparks in America would be an understatement, as the River Bandits unveil something news every season. Last year the team unveiled the first permanent Ferris wheel at a Minor League Baseball ballpark, earning a Ballpark Digest Award in the process. (The team also snared a 2013 award for ballpark improvements.) The philosophy behind team owner Main Street Baseball is pretty clear: introduce a ballpark improvement annually and the fans will respond. A successful philosophy: the Bandits and High Desert Mavericks (High Class A; California League) both set attendance records in 2014.