Spirit Communications Park
 | |
| Location |
1640 Freed Drive Columbia, South Carolina United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°01′03″N 81°01′53″W / 34.017417°N 81.031397°WCoordinates: 34°01′03″N 81°01′53″W / 34.017417°N 81.031397°W |
| Owner | City of Columbia |
| Operator | Hardball Capital |
| Capacity | 9,077 |
| Field size |
Left Field: 319 ft (97 m) Left-Center Field: 372 ft (113 m) Center Field: 400 ft (120 m) Right-Center Field: 382 ft (116 m) Right Field: 330 ft (100 m)[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 6, 2015[2] |
| Opened | April 14, 2016 |
| Construction cost | $37 million |
| Architect | Populous |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore[3] |
| Services engineer | Henderson Engineers, Inc.[3] |
| General contractor | CCEB Venue Partners (Consisting of Barton Malow, Contract Construction, Construction Dynamics, and EnviroAg Sciences)[4] |
| Tenants | |
| Columbia Fireflies (SAL) (2016–present) | |
Spirit Communications Park is a baseball park in Columbia, South Carolina. It is the home of the Columbia Fireflies, a Minor League Baseball team playing in the South Atlantic League. It opened in 2016 and can seat up to 9,077 people.
Background
Columbia was without minor league baseball since the Capital City Bombers relocated to Greenville, South Carolina, in 2004. Plans were approved to build a new stadium to attract a Minor League Baseball team in 2014, with Spirit Communications, a local telecommunications company, buying the naming rights.[5]
Developers broke ground on Spirit Communications Park on January 6, 2015. Architectural firm Populous built the stadium, with an estimated 8,500 capacity, on a budget of $37 million, with $30 million coming from public funds.[6] The Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League announced in May 2015 that they would move to Columbia for the 2016 season,[7][8] and be known as the Columbia Fireflies.[9] Their first game at Spirit Communications Park, on April 14, 2016, was a 4–1 victory over the Greenville Drive attended by 9,077 people.[10]
In its first season, Ballpark Digest named Spirit Communications Park it's 2016 Ballpark of the Year. It's the first time that a stadium has received the honor in its first year since Fluor Field at the West End, home of the Greenville Drive did in 2006.
References
- ↑ "Sprint Communications Park" (PDF). 2016 Columbia Fireflies Media Guide. Minor League Baseball. 2016. p. 4. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ↑ LeBlanc, Clif (January 6, 2015). "Work to Begin Next Week on Stadium Billed As the Key to Success for the Large Bull Street Project". The State. Columbia, SC. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- 1 2 "Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for a Large or Complex Project" (PDF). City of Columbia. August 19, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ↑ Naas, Abby (January 6, 2015). "Spirit Communications Park Groundbreaking". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ↑ Callahan, Carolyn (December 3, 2014). "Bull Street Ball Park to Be Named `Spirit Communications Park`". WIS. Columbia, SC. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Columbia Breaks Ground on Stadium for 2016". Minor League Baseball. January 6, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ White, Neil (May 21, 2015). "It's Official: Savannah Baseball Team Moving to Columbia". The State. Columbia, SC. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Dial, Steven; Santaella, Tony (March 25, 2015). "Savannah Baseball Team Moving to Columbia". WLTX. Columbia, SC. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Ransdell, Aaron (August 4, 2015). "Columbia Fireflies Named as New Baseball Name". The State. Columbia, SC. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ↑ Fitzgerald, Kevin (April 15, 2016). "9,077 See Fireflies Win Spirit Communications Park Opener". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 16, 2016.