As Phoenix eyes an ambitious overhaul of downtown offerings, the planned Chase Field renovations from the Arizona Diamondbacks could play a part in the final plan.
Downtown Phoenix is a challenge for city officials: there are perpetual signs of revitalization amid mixed economic performance. Two major sports facilities–Chase Field and Mortgage Matchup Center, home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns–were built with the expectation that they would buoy downtown fortunes.
But that never really happened, and despite several plans floated for offerings anchored by both sports facilities, progress has stalled.
Until now, when the announced Chase Field renovations were approved by the Arizona Legislature last fall. The Diamondbacks haven’t yet settled on a plan for Chase Field renovations (past the virtually mandatory repairs to aging infrastructure like HVAC systems), and what the city decides to do may impact any planned Chase Field renovations.
Right now the city envisions an entertainment district anchored by Chase Field, Mortgage Matchup Center, the Phoenix Convention Center, empty lots, underutilized assets and existing arts venues. The plan is to be discussed today by a Phoenix City Council subcommittee. From the Arizona Republic:
The plan suggests expanding the retail space at the Jefferson Street Garage between Mortgage Matchup Center and Chase Field. The building directly north of the garage has one existing retail tenant, Crown Public House, after the restaurant next door closed. The plan suggests removing the facades around the sides of the parking garage and adding vendor and art exhibition spaces. In the long term, the city should consider redeveloping the garage into a different use, like a hotel or apartment tower.
To both the east and west of the garage, the plan proposes activating vacant land adjacent to both Chase Field and the Mortgage Matchup Center.
Just west of Chase Field, the plan proposes the redesign of “Diamondbacks Plaza.” The land could be activated with farmers markets, vendors on game days and art installations. Northeast of Chase Field, the plan suggests redeveloping a surface parking lot into what it calls “Sonora Field,” an area of open space and desert landscaping. It could be an “ideal location for visitors to encounter a saguaro.”
In the meantime, the Diamondbacks continue to make more modest Chase Field renovations. This season sees another upgraded videoboard and three new ribbon boards at the ballpark. According to Daktronics, the video display in center field will total nearly 9,600 square feet of digital canvas, a 52 percent increase over the previous Daktronics display and top 10 in size at the major league level. The ballpark now has more than 21,000 square feet of digital signage totaling 16.9 million pixels at the Diamondbacks’ disposal to entertain and inform their fans.
“Our goal is always to make Chase Field one of the most exciting places in baseball to watch a game,” said Derrick Hall, D-backs President, CEO & General Partner, via press release. “Daktronics brought incredible expertise and innovation to this project, helping us deliver a world-class scoreboard and ribbon board system that will transform how fans experience the game at Chase Field. These new displays are an innovative step forward, building on recent lighting and audio upgrades as we continue enhancing the ballpark for our fans.”
Image courtesy Daktronics.
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