The Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A; Sally League) are not finished upgrading Perdue Stadium, as the team is planning for the addition of a 360-degree concourse.
Over the last few years, the Shorebirds have gone to work in modernizing several aspects of Perdue Stadium. The replacement of the playing surface was among the projects completed prior to the 2016 season, while the team replaced ballpark seating and installed a new videoboard before last season.
Those projects were part of the ongoing effort to upgrade Perdue Stadium, and now the team will enter a new phase of the project with the construction of a 360-degree concourse. To accommodate the early phases of the new concourse construction, the Shorebirds have removed a carousel that has been located down the left field line since the ballpark’s opening in 1996. More from Delmarva Now:
Currently, attendees can only go as far as mid-left field in the viewing area to watch the game. However, with the extension of the concourse, fans will have the chance to do a complete 360 around the stadium, watching the contest from the outfield with the chance to catch a home run ball.
With the extension, the Shorebirds’ were forced to make sacrifices, and after it endured much wear-and-tear over the years, general manager Chris Bitters felt it was finally time to say goodbye to the carousel.
“The pad that the carousel sits on, it’s deteriorated significantly over the last 22 years, so that needed to be replaced,” Bitters said. “(The carousel has) seen its better days. As we started marching through this … we knew we’d have to part ways with the carousel. It’s been much more difficult to maintain and find parts and tents for it.”
In the next few weeks, the area which the carousel normally sits will be closed off for construction. Due to harsh weather throughout the offseason, the organization had to wait until April to complete the first steps in the project.
The Perdue Stadium carousel will live on in another location, as the Shorebirds have donated it to the Hebron Fireman’s Carnival.
RELATED STORIES: Shorebirds Detail Perdue Stadium Upgrades; Perdue Stadium Renovations Continue; Shorebirds prep Perdue Stadium Upgrades