Warner Park, the home of the Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League), will be improved before the 2011 season with new bleachers, a new grandstand and more under a plan approved by the city’s Board of Estimates yesterday.
The city will spend $800,000 on new Warner Park bleachers, with the Mallards kicking in at least $500,000 and covering cost overruns. The Mallards also pledged to make $500,000 in additional approvements to the ballpark, including brickwork that will extend throughout the ballpark. Part of the brickwork was installed before the 2010 season when the team installed new seating down the third-base line. A new grandstand is part of the mix as well.
The Warner Park bleachers date back to the Madison Muskies (Low Class A; Midwest League) era, when owner Ed Janus arranged for their installation. In what is perhaps an apocryphal tale, the owner of the company installing the bleachers is said to have ended up owning a chunk of the Muskies after the team failed to pay him the total bill for the bleachers.
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