The ongoing renovations to Dutchess Stadium, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades (High-A East), continue after a new 25-year lease was approved by the Dutchess County Legislature.
Improvements to the ballpark have been an ongoing process–they began several years ago (see the links below for details) and touched on most parts of the ballpark–new seats, overhauled concessions, etc.
The latest round of improvements comes after the Dutchess County Legislature approved $12.5 million in additional upgrades tied to a new 25-year for the ballpark. The Renegades were one of the big winners in the 2021 reorganization of Minor League Baseball, jumping from the Short Season A NY-Penn League to High-A ball, and the renovations address the new facility requirements imposed by Major League Baseball: covered batting tunnels, upgraded visitor clubhouse, new umpire and women’s facilities, a family meeting room and more. From Westfair Online:
The county legislature recently negotiated a settlement to buy the land under the stadium from the Beacon School District for $627,000. Voters approved the $627,000 sale of the 33 acres in May. Funding for the purchase will come from the $57 million the county received through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
A portion of that funding is slated to be dedicated to the “Dutchess County Invests” initiative, announced on June 2. The county expects to use $17 million of the one-time federal funding to upgrade the county’s parks, which includes the improvements to the stadium.
“Dutchess Stadium remains an economic engine for our county, employing our neighbors, attracting thousands of visitors from throughout the region and adding revenue, which offsets taxes for county residents and businesses,” County Executive Marc Molinaro said prior to the legislators’ approval.
The new facility requirements are forcing a slew of teams to address upgrades.
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