The Cleveland Guardians will begin a $200 million renovation of Progressive Field at the end of next season, looking to enhance the fan experience.
Most of the renovations will be concentrated on the upper deck, which has been largely unused in recent years. Sections in right field are now taken up with shipping containers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wasted space,鈥� sports commentator Terry Pluto said. 鈥淚n the old days of the late '90s, when they were selling out all the games, people were sitting everywhere, you couldn't have enough seats. That's been gone now for 20 years,鈥� he said.
Pluto said what has been popular is the team鈥檚 鈥淐orner Bar鈥� area in the Right Field District, where $15 standing-room-only tickets are sold and fans can gather to watch the game, or sit in a bar area with craft beers on tap. It was built during the last round of renovations in 2015.
鈥淭hey found that not only were people who bought that ticket to mill around, but a lot of people who bought other tickets were going there, too," he said. "So that's the goal of this is to make the top of the stadium, instead of just empty seats and shipping containers ... make it, as I said, a game experience."
Other upgrades include converting the Terrace Club near left field into an open-air space with expanded seating, and the Dugout Suites behind home plate will become private lounges.