carltonfisk
08-18-2001, 12:05 PM
After checking out the proposed Comiskey Park renovations a few weeks back, I thought I would contact the company in charge just to see if they were for real or not. I thought you guys would be interested. (Plus, I thought this would be a nice break from thinking about last night's ugly performance.)
Well, it's true. HKS is currently working with the Chicago White Sox to do some renovations at Comiskey Park. I wish we were proceeding with all of the fantastic changes that you see on the HKS website, but unfortunately the scope of the project has been minimized somewhat due to troubles with the White Sox obtaining naming rights for the ballpark. Without that significant chunk of cash, some of the larger exterior renovations have been put on hold. Prior to this season we completed phase one construction which entailed adding approximately five additional rows of seating at the front row of the field level from dugout to dugout around the outfield. We also reconfigured the direction of both bullpens in the outfield area and added a terraced picnic area in the right field corner. The right field bar area underneath the seating was also expanded and opened up to the field and bullpen areas more. Finally, a new outfield fence and wall padding were provided. Phase two construction will begin after this season is completed. Phase two construction consists of revisions to the center field batter's eye area in order to create more space behind the batter's eye for shops and
concessions that will be added in phase three if all goes well. Phase two construction also entails upgrades to the field and lower club level corridors. Basically we plan to add some warmth to the concourses with some brickwork and new lighting, among other things such as restroom additions. Phase three is in the design phase right now, but the tentative plan is to develop a Chicago street scene in the outfield area below the large advertisement boards and scoreboard by developing storefronts, each of a unique and different character, containing restrooms, concessions, novelty stores, and possibly a Chicago White Sox Museum or Hall of Fame of some kind. I wish I could tell you more, but decisions for phase three are far from finalized. What I do know for sure is that everything will look very different by the time the All-Star Game comes to town in 2003! Hope this information helps you. Keep your eye on the HKS website for more great projects we are hoping to work on in the Chicago area.
Well, it's true. HKS is currently working with the Chicago White Sox to do some renovations at Comiskey Park. I wish we were proceeding with all of the fantastic changes that you see on the HKS website, but unfortunately the scope of the project has been minimized somewhat due to troubles with the White Sox obtaining naming rights for the ballpark. Without that significant chunk of cash, some of the larger exterior renovations have been put on hold. Prior to this season we completed phase one construction which entailed adding approximately five additional rows of seating at the front row of the field level from dugout to dugout around the outfield. We also reconfigured the direction of both bullpens in the outfield area and added a terraced picnic area in the right field corner. The right field bar area underneath the seating was also expanded and opened up to the field and bullpen areas more. Finally, a new outfield fence and wall padding were provided. Phase two construction will begin after this season is completed. Phase two construction consists of revisions to the center field batter's eye area in order to create more space behind the batter's eye for shops and
concessions that will be added in phase three if all goes well. Phase two construction also entails upgrades to the field and lower club level corridors. Basically we plan to add some warmth to the concourses with some brickwork and new lighting, among other things such as restroom additions. Phase three is in the design phase right now, but the tentative plan is to develop a Chicago street scene in the outfield area below the large advertisement boards and scoreboard by developing storefronts, each of a unique and different character, containing restrooms, concessions, novelty stores, and possibly a Chicago White Sox Museum or Hall of Fame of some kind. I wish I could tell you more, but decisions for phase three are far from finalized. What I do know for sure is that everything will look very different by the time the All-Star Game comes to town in 2003! Hope this information helps you. Keep your eye on the HKS website for more great projects we are hoping to work on in the Chicago area.