It certainly will be a challenging year for the Staten Island Yankees (Short Season A; NY-Penn League), with development surrounding Richmond County Bank Ballpark — but team management has a game plan to handle any obstacles.
Fans heading to the ballpark will need to navigate the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets projects on either side of the ballpark. Now, Richmond County Bank Ballpark is certainly one of the most scenic ballparks in the minors, and when development is completed in the ballpark area, there will be even more foot traffic surrounding the ballpark. But the SI Yankees will need to work through the 2017 before that happens. Part of the solution is a new parking ramp next to the ballpark, and part of the solution is a more aggressive promotional schedule. From Staten Island Live:
“I’m definitely optimistic,” said Will Smith, team president and operating partner, as he stood on the concourse overlooking last-minute stadium work in preparation for Monday night’s New York-Penn League season opener against the Brooklyn Cyclones. “There are a lot of things that point to that optimism.”
For starters, there’s a public parking garage open beyond the former left-field parking lot. The garage can be accessed at the corner of Nicholas Street and Richmond Terrace, with the garage’s entrance located approximately 500 feet from the RCBB.
Parking fees are a discounted $6 on game nights.
“I think that’s the biggest issue. We get it and people get it,” said Smith of parking. “Public transportation isn’t the easiest on Staten Island and it’s very car-centric culture. People want to be in their cars. There’s a new parking option we didn’t have in 2016 that solves a significant problem.”
The SI Yankees have made some ballpark improvements for 2017, including the construction of a new autism suite, And the promotional slate has been updated as well.