A $4.6-million renovation of Wade Stadium, home of the Duluth Huskies (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) will begin this fall and extend into next spring.
The renovation work will be done in two parts, with $2.3 million coming from the state and $2.3 million coming from Duluth. The historic ballpark, which opened in 1941 with assistance from the Works Progress Administration, will see artificial turf laid down this fall on top of a new drainage system. The existing field will be totally torn up to make way for the turf, which will cover the entire field, including the basepaths. (This is a trend we’ve seen more often in recent years, especially on the collegiate and summer-collegiate levels, most recently at Curtis Granderson Stadium.) Kraus-Anderson Construction submitted the low bid for the first part of the renovations, which should be done by April 2015. Other ballpark improvements, including a fresh coast of paint and repairs to the ballpark’s lighting system, were also part of the bid. From WDIO.com:
Councilor Howie Hanson said, as a former baseball player, this is a special project for him. He says it will allow baseball teams like the Duluth Huskies and St. Scholastica Saints to play outside earlier in the spring than they could before. He said it will also allow Wade Stadium to be better suited for other types of events.
“I’m really excited about this project in terms of the economic opportunities this creates. It gives us a championship level facility, a multi-use facility that we can do some really exciting things with,” Hanson said.
The second part of the ballpark renovations will be let to bid this September and will include new seating, an updated scoreboard and more.
RELATED STORIES: Wade Stadium renovation funding strikes out; Saints, Huskies ballparks pitched for Minnesota state funds; Duluth: We’ll continue seeking state fund for Wade Stadium renovations; Duluth Huskies unveil renovation plan for Wade Stadium
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