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University of Kentucky plans to build New $49 Million Baseball Stadium

University of Kentucky

Specifications:

Name:

University of Kentucky plans to build New $49 Million Baseball Stadium

Location:

Lexington, Kentucky

Company:

University of Kentucky

Estimated Cost:

$49 Million

Source:

ukathletics.com

Introduction:

The University of Kentucky Athletics Department officially broke ground on the construction of a new baseball stadium. The groundbreaking follows final approval for the project given by the UK Board of Trustees in October, continuing the ongoing $2.2 billion transformation of the University of Kentucky campus.

Features:

The new stadium – which is yet to be named – will be located off Alumni Drive between the new Kentucky Football Training Facility and the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex, adding to the cluster of UK Athletics facilities in the area. Construction is expected to take 18-20 months, meaning the stadium will open in late fall 2018 in time for the 2019 UK baseball season.

The baseball stadium is being relocated from its current site to accommodate the university’s South Campus Master Plan. The move will allow for the development of additional student recreation spaces and a substantial expansion of parking spaces on South Campus.

The stadium will feature permanent seating for nearly 2,500 fans with additional space on grass berms to accommodate a total of more than 4,000 fans for regular-season games. Beyond the outfield wall, temporary bleachers can be installed for NCAA Tournament games to bring the seating capacity to more than 7,000. Fan amenities also will include suites and a new club area. The new stadium will feature a team lounge, locker room, training area, indoor hitting and pitching areas, and coaching offices, as well as a recruiting room. All spaces are either new to UK baseball or significantly larger than ones currently in use.

The new stadium will replace Cliff Hagan Stadium, which has been home to UK baseball since its opening in 1969. Once the new stadium opens, Cliff Hagan Stadium will be demolished to make way for a new facility for UK’s men’s and women’s tennis programs. Additionally, a new soccer practice field replacing the one located at the site of the new baseball stadium will be built at the current site of the club practice field off College Way.