Ahead of the debut of the Macon Bacon (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League), historic Luther Williams Field will be receiving a series of upgrades.
With the upstart Bacon about to become the latest team to call the venerable ballpark home, Luther Williams Field is being modernized in several areas that will affect the fan experience. As part of a $2.5-million project, the ballpark will receive a new group area down the third base line, as well as improved seating and other amenities.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place earlier this week, with the work expected to wrap up around the beginning of May. That should put all of the upgrades in place for the Bacon’s home opener on June 1. More from The Telegraph:
“We all thought that this was a win-win proposition, to get baseball back to Luther Williams,” Mayor Robert Reichert said. “We’re doing great things with the SPLOST money all over this community, so thank you for making that happen.
“We’re excited about what we can do here at Luther Williams.”
Additions will include a large group area on the third-base side that can accommodate 120 people, outdoor cabana suites on the first-base side, VIP front-row seats, a 2,000-square foot beer garden, and a children’s play area, [Team President Todd] Pund said. Plans also call for expanded concession areas, a team store and a pregame picnic area, according to Telegraph archives.
The main seating area will be cleaned up and repainted, some seats will be replaced, the concrete will be smoothed and painted, and locker rooms and restrooms will be renovated. Plumbing and power upgrades also are coming.
Luther Williams Field opened in 1929, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It has been home to a variety of teams over the years, with its most recent affiliated minor league tenant–the Macon Braves (Low A; Sally League)–relocating to Rome, GA after the 2002 season.
Renderings courtesy Macon Bacon.
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