Let There be Lights!
(September 5) -- Light towers now loom over the emerging Sarpy County ballpark, while underneath them the playing field continues to progress. In all, five towers have been erected at the field, with the rest to be put up this week.
Left Field Bleachers in Place
(August 1) -- The first game is months away, but the left field bleacher seats are ready for fans. The section, with approximately 275 seats, sits on guard at the new Sarpy County ballpark while the rest of the stadium moves on pace for completion well before the Omaha Royals open play in April 2011. The views here are from the bleachers, from behind home plate and an up-close peak at the new seats.
Photo Update: July 29
(July 29) -- As July comes to a close - just 10 months after grading began - the Sarpy County ballpark moves closer toward its home stretch. These photos show the concrete risers for the main seating area almost complete.
July 18 Photo from behind home plate.
June 28 Update, from the left field area.
Ballpark Dimensions, Details Unveiled
(June 11) -- The Sarpy County ballpark promises to be a unique venue on and off the field for fans and players alike. That became clear after the Omaha Royals unveiled final plans for the field and the stadium at a media briefing June 9.
The ballpark's dimensions will be 315 feet down the right field line, 310 feet to left, and 402 feet (like the local area code) to straightaway center. But the outfield walls will curve and bend to provide plenty of suspense on drives to the gap and fly balls near the wall.
Players will enter the field via clubhouses located behind left field and the bullpens will be behind the center field fence.
Fans will find plenty of amenities when they enter the ballpark. The 6,282 permanent seats will put them close to the field and the action. Fans down the left field line will be able to watch the action from seats that are angled toward the infield. And, some fans will be able to view the game from a dugout located just below those seats. In the left field corner, about 450 fans will be able to watch from a home run porch.
A pedestrian walkway will encircle the stadium. Total capacity, with berm-seating and standing-room areas will be about 8,600.
Construction is on schedule for the ballpark, and the field is expected to be sodded by September. The Royals will begin play in their new home in April, 2011.
May 24: Progress is taking place on a daily basis at the Sarpy County ballpark. These photos show the press box rising, foundations for concession stands and other facilities and the preparation for the main seating areas at the stadium.
Construction Timeline Established
(Jan. 29) -- Visible progress at the Sarpy County ballpark is just around the corner. While the weather has slowed some of the physical construction, it has allowed for planning, final design and other preparation to advance.
The Weitz Company, the construction manager for the project, has established a timeline for the next three months. Currently, access roads to the ballpark site, just north of Highway 370 and just east of 126th Street, are being installed and prepared. It’s estimated that some footings will be able to be poured in February.
The 6,000-seat ballpark will become the home of the Triple-A Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League in April, 2011. The Royals will open their 42nd consecutive season at home on April 8 at Rosenblatt Stadium.
With favorable weather conditions, much of the work on the foundations and footings for the outfield fences, stadium bowl and dugouts should be completed in June.
Sarpy County Ballpark Construction Timeline
February Project Starts
Footings for first base, third base, home plate
Foundation, foundation wall
Site plumbing, drainage, first, third base lines
Dugout footings, first base
Stern wall, first base
March Project Starts
Footings, right, left fields
Upper footings first base, third base, home plate
Stern walls, first, third, home, outfield
Upper stern walls, first and third base
Foundation walls, dugouts
Stadium riser forming
April Project Starts
Upper stern walls, home plate
Foundation wall ramp
Elevated slabs on dugout roofs
Stadium risers
Estimated completion: May-June, 2010
Access Road Connects Ballpark, Highway 370
(Jan. 19) With a break in the weather, construction activity at the Sarpy County ballpark has resumed in full force. The ballpark is now connected to Highway 370 with an access road, which was constructed over the past week. In addition, the ballpark will soon begin to take shape with the pouring of concrete footings for the main seating bowl and the outfield fence.
The footings could begin to be poured by Jan. 25, weather permitting. Over excavation and grading at the site is being done seven days a week. If necessary, over excavation work could be done with shifts operating 24 hours a day in order to prepare the site for the footings.
Ballpark Progress Continues; Royals Reap Honors
(Jan. 7) The series of winter storms that have swept through the area over the past month may have slowed some of the on-site progress at the new Sarpy County ballpark, but behind the scenes, much work is still being accomplished.
Design work and planning continue in preparation for the next phases of the construction process. An access road, footings and concrete work for the main seating area are among the projects next on the list.
Meanwhile the Omaha Royals continue to reap off-season awards. Omaha Magazine has named the Royals the Best Omaha Sports Team for a second-straight year by a vote of the publication’s readers. The magazine annually lists the best businesses and services offered throughout the city.
A record number of more than 16,000 voters participated. The Royals exceeded 300,000 in attendance for a 22nd straight year, attracting 371,046 in 2009.
Omaha general manager Martie Cordero has also earned recognition, being named one of the honorees for the Midlands Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” award, recognizing entrepreneurs and executives under the age of 40. On January 14, Cordero will be honored with the Matt Minker Award by the Kansas City Royals in Overland Park, Kan. The award is given to an outstanding minor league affiliate employee.
Royals fans can begin looking forward to the start of a new season as the Kansas City Royals Caravan makes its annual stop in the area. The caravan makes its stop in Omaha on January 18 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 72nd and Grover, from 10 a.m. to noon. The caravan includes current players Alex Gordon, the former Nebraska standout who played briefly last season for Omaha, and Willie Bloomquist, former Royals great and Omaha player Willie Wilson and broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre.
For more information on the Royals, go to the official website, oroyals.com
Grading, Excavation Shaping the Ballpark
(Dec. 11) -- Grading and excavation are heading into the final stages and the new Sarpy County ballpark is beginning to take shape. Even with the slowdown because of the weather, it's hoped that progress will continue through the month. The photo below was shot on Dec. 6 from the southwest corner of the development, looking toward where the new ballpark will be located.
Progress Continues at Ballpark
(Nov. 9) -- Grading and sitework continues at a brisk pace at the new home for the Omaha Royals. The Sarpy County ballpark site is teeming with equipment as McArdle Grading Co. prepares the site for concrete in the next few weeks. This photograph is taken from where the right field stands will be, looking toward the main grandstand area.
Roadway Design in Progress for Ballpark
(Nov. 3) -- The Sarpy County Board Tuesday approved an agreement with Olsson Associates for a topographic survey, roadway design and environmental engineering services for the new Sarpy County ballpark, which is now under construction.
Three key areas along Nebraska Highway 370 will be targeted to improve and enhance access to and from the ballpark. The intersections will be at 120th, 126th and 132nd Streets. Among other services, Olsson will also will prepare plans for traffic signals, right-of-way design, lighting and traffic control.
The agreement with Olsson calls for a fixed fee of $107,000, County Administrator Mark Wayne said.
The ballpark will be located near 126th Street and Highway 370 and will be the new home for the Triple-A Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League. The 6,000-plus seat facility will be ready for play in April, 2011. Last season, the Royals attracted an average of 5,456 fans per game.
“This is a very important part of this project,” Wayne said. “This will have a lasting effect on the area, not just for events, but on a day-to-day basis once the project has been completed.”
Currently, site work and grading continue for the new ballpark. Despite being slowed by wet weather, plans are still on track for concrete to be poured for the main seating area before winter.
Weitz, County Sign Agreement
(Oct. 20) -- Sarpy County has reached an agreement with Weitz Co. to be the Construction Manager at Risk for the new ballpark which will be constructed at 126th Street and Highway 370. The ballpark will become the new home for the Omaha Royals beginning in 2011.
“We have a standard AIA Agreement that outlines how we will proceed until a Guaranteed Maximum Price is negotiated,” County Administrator Mark Wayne said. Wayne said that work will be performed while construction documents are being developed over the next several months. He said that a GMP will be negotiated late this year or in January.
Wayne will represent the county as the project manager for the construction of the ballpark. Total cost for the project is expected to be about $26 million. The Royals have signed a 25-year lease to use the ballpark.
The board approved Weitz as the construction manager at-risk for the project by a 4-0 vote on October 6.
Grading for the new ballpark began on October 9 by the McArdle Grading Co., and will continue for the next month.
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Ballpark Photo Update
