Renovations to Recreation Park, home of minor-league baseball's Visalia Oaks, are now projected to cost $18.6 million, city officials told the Visalia City Council Monday.

By a 4-1 vote, with Amy Shuklian dissenting, the council approved $11.6 million of that amount. Still to come: Replacement of the grandstand, a $7 million-plus project that now must be put off indefinitely.

"It's been no secret that I've had concerns about the cost of this project," Shuklian said.
The latest projection triples the original, 2-year-old estimate of $6 million.

That amount was expected to cover various improvements to the deteriorating 60-year-old ballpark on Giddings Street between Murray and Center avenues — including a new grandstand.

Completed and proposed renovations include:

Fan and player improvements down the left-field line area, which were completed in time for the 2007 season at a cost of about $2 million.

Office and VIP buildings, improved fan facilities and bullpen upgrades down the right-field-line area. Those are yet to be built, but the council Monday awarded a $7.4 million base bid from Visalia contractor Seals-Biehle to begin construction as soon as possible.
Total construction cost is estimated at $9.8 million, according to city documents released Monday. No clear breakdown on the $2.4 million in costs beyond the construction bid was available from Phyllis Coring, project manager.

New dugouts to be built into the present grandstand support berm. Construction on that job, which has yet to be been designed or bid out, must wait until the 2008 season ends in September.

Replacement of the present earth-berm grandstand with one made of metal, expanding seating capacity. That project is now at least a year away. Estimated cost: $7 million.
Monday's vote also scrapped portions of a lease between the Oaks and the city. That lease had promised that the right-field improvements would be done by now and the grandstands by 2009.

Engineers last year recommended that the earthen berm supporting the present grandstand be demolished and replaced.

The revised lease only covers the right-field area and not the grandstand — and the timetable is delayed.

"I know we've put [the Oaks] through a wringer," Councilman Greg Collins said.

Construction during the coming season will be necessary, city and Oaks officials say. The projects will cut seating capacity from 2,020 to 1,300.

Dugouts will remain accessible until new dugouts are carved into an existing berm.

Completion of the right-field area will get spectator capacity back to more than 2,000. It's hoped that a new grandstand will increase seating to more than 3,000.

The projected $18.6 million cost of renovating Recreation Park compares roughly to the amounts spent on building new minor-league ballparks from scratch in recent years.

The Banner Island ballpark in Stockton cost $22 million to build in 2005 — and it seats 5,200.

Ticket-buyers had been expected to pay an average of $1 more per ticket, starting in 2009, to help defray improvement costs. The increase will be put off until 2010, officials say.

"There's no way we could pay that [ticket surcharge] starting in 2009," Oaks owner Tom Seidler said.

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Portions of the renovations for the Visalia Oaks' stadium are complete, but many are left to be finished.

RECREATION PARK COSTS

Visalia City Council members Monday approved a revised financial package for the renovation of Recreation Park's professional baseball stadium's right-field area. Expenses:

Construction: $9,852,285
U tilities: 80,000
Site management: 239,100
Architecture, engineering: 886,935
Furniture, equipment: 275,000
Fees: 85,680
Bid expenses: 28,000
Building commissioning: 48,000
Scoreboard: 100,000
L egal expenses:5,000
Subtotal: $11,600,000

New grandstand: 7,000,000*
Grand total: $18,600,000 *

Estimated expense; not included in Monday's approval.

Source: City of Visalia records and staff reports

WHAT NEW MINOR LEAGUE STADIUMS COST

Here are the locations, opening dates, seating capacity and costs of most of the Class A minor league baseball stadiums built in the United States since 2000.

Date Seating Cost
opened Name Location capacity (in millions)
2007 Dow Diamond Midland, Mich. 5,500 $ 34
2006 West End Field Greenville, S.C. 5,700 15
2005 Banner Island Stockton, Calif. 5,200 22
2005 Appalachian Power Park Charleston, W.Va. 6,200 23
2004 Bright House Networks Clearwater, Fla. 6,897 25
2003 State Mutual Stadium Rome, Ga. 5,000 15.8
2002 Veterans Memorial Stadium Cedar Rapids, Iowa 5,300 16
2002 O'Brien Field Peoria, Ill. 7,500 24
2000 Fifth Third Field Dayton, Ohio 7,230 22
Sources: www.ballparkdigest.com, local newspapers