Progressive Field will feature a revamped Club Lounge this season, as the Cleveland Indians are upgrading the space as part of a $6 million project.
Through the renovation, the Indians are changing just about every aspect of Progressive Field’s Club Lounge–an area available to ticket holders in sections 326-348. New televisions and an upgraded sound system are being installed, along with a 60-foot, seven-inch bar area, floor-to-ceiling, retractable glass doors, and increases in capacity that include seating inside the lounge and social areas outside the space.
Work on the project began last fall, after the Indians were eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of the Houston Astros, and is on track to be completed in advance of the team’s April 1 home opener. The renovation will mark the biggest change to the Club Lounge since the ballpark’s 1994 opening, and is not only expected to improve flow within the space and open up views of the playing field, but also provide a greater array of viewing options and encourage a more social atmosphere. More from Crain’s Cleveland Business:
Shifting the location of the bar will improve the flow inside the lounge, said Weber Murphy Fox principal Sean Plunkett, whose firm designed the space, as it did The Corner and other recent ballpark renovations.
“There will be a lot more standing tables inside,” Plunkett said. “People can loiter about at tables, rather than always looking for a seat. We changed a ton of those types of elements.”
The seating capacity inside the Club Lounge is increasing 29%, from 309 to 398, and the Indians are adding another 121 spots outside the club, bringing the total increase to 210, or 68%.
The latter spaces are part of a bar that is being constructed in the club outfield sections. The outside bar will overlook the ballpark and be a short toss from The Corner.
The Indians have been diligent in recent years making upgrades to Progressive Field, including 2015’s addition of The Corner, a gathering spot in right field. Progressive Field is set to host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game this July, its first turn at the event since 1997.