Venue Detail
Columbus Clippers
RSV Pro Facilities Report
February, 2016
Columbus Clippers
330 Huntington Park Ln Columbus, OH 43215 Phone: 614-462-5250 Fax: 614-462-3271 URL: www.clippersbaseball.com Owner: Columbus Baseball Team, Inc. League: International League, West
Venue
Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Ln, Columbus, OH 43215 Owner: Franklin County Built: 2009 Capacity: 10,000 Concessionaire: Sodexo Suite caterer: Sodexo Soft drink:
Naming rights
Sold to: Huntington Bancshares Price: $12,000,000 Term: 23 years Expires: 2030
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $675 to $1,250 Single tickets range from $6.00 to $12.00
Attendance
2013 average attendance: 9,212 2014 average attendance: 8,985
Suites
Quantity: 24 Price: $30,000 to $40,000 Seats: 12 to 20
Financing
The county will sell revenue bonds to build the $50 million ballpark, though corporate sponsors – including Huntington Bank, Nationwide and The Dispatch – pledged half the tab.
Nationwide Realty Investors convinced Hamilton County officials to allow it to develop a new ballpark for the Clippers. The company developed an arena for the city along with a surrounding entertainment district.
Nationwide agreed to waive its fees as its contribution to the project. Two other firms bidding for the work had set fees from $700,000 to $900,000. International Facilities Group of Chicago and CT Consultants of Willoughby, Conn., were the other bidders.
Seats in the new ballpark start only 48 feet from the bases, said Brian J. Ellis, president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Realty Investors. Nationwide is serving as the owner's representative for the county and overseeing the designs by 360 Architecture in association with Moody Nolan.
The urban neighborhood, with bistros, bright lights and big parking lots already built, also will provide energy from existing crowds. The stadium will cooperate with the district's other big tenant, professional hockey. Their seasons are complementary: Hockey in the cold months and baseball when it's warm.
The tight footprint has advantages, Ellis said. “We're pushing the fans as close down to the action as possible.”
The county is hoping team managers will re-evaluate their marketing at the new ballpark and allow fans to buy smaller ticket packages instead of only traditional season passes.
They want more people to be able to see a game, and fewer empty seats – even if those seats are paid for.
“A sold but empty seat doesn't provide energy. It doesn't buy popcorn,” Ellis said.
The ballpark will include suite and club seating. A more affordable party option will be a rooftop patio overlooking the ballpark in the “Left-Field Building.”
Floors below will include a team shop, a tavern and a locker room where children who have run through the fountain or spilled punch can dry off.
The Left-Field Building, which continues the seating around the diamond, will be made of a different brick than the columns framing the rest of the stadium.
Developers didn't have an existing old building to save, so they designed a nostalgic building typical of the warehouses once in the area.
Otherwise, the ballpark will be state of the art. The scoreboard will include a 32-by-18-foot video screen with vivid color and sharp resolution.
In 2000, Franklin County rejected the idea of building a new stadium to replace Cooper Stadium. The decision came after polls showed voters were 3-1 against a new venue. County voters have repeatedly voted against public money for sports venues, but more recent polls show support for renovation or new construction. Those who regularly attend games favor renovation while occasional fans want a new ballpark. With attendance slipping, the business leaders feel a new ballpark could fill more seats. (Facilities, Baseball, Minor League, Professional Sports, Venue)