Coolray Field

Last updated

Coolray Field
Coolray Field.png
Coolray Field 2009.jpg
Coolray Field
USA Georgia relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Coolray Field
Location within Georgia
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Coolray Field
Coolray Field (the United States)
Former namesGwinnett Stadium (2009) [1]
Location2500 Buford Drive
Lawrenceville, Georgia
United States
Coordinates 34°2′29.38″N83°59′32.52″W / 34.0414944°N 83.9923667°W / 34.0414944; -83.9923667
Public transit Bus-logo.svg Gwinnett County Transit
No direct bus route connection
Owner Gwinnett County [2]
Operator Gwinnett County [2]
Capacity 10,427 (baseball)
7,362 (soccer)
Field sizeLeft field: 335 ft (102 m)
Center field: 400 ft (120 m)
Right field: 335 ft (102 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundJune 3, 2008 [3]
OpenedApril 17, 2009 (2009-04-17)
Construction cost $64 million
($90.9 million in 2023 dollars [4] )
Architect HKS, Inc. [2]
Structural engineerBliss & Nyitray, Inc.
Services engineerSmith Seckman Reid, Inc.
General contractorBarton Malow Co. [2]
Tenants
Gwinnett Stripers (IL/AAAE) 2009–present
Atlanta United 2 (USLC) 2018
Website
www.milb.com/gwinnett/ballpark/coolray-field

Coolray Field (formerly known as Gwinnett Stadium) is a 10,427-seat minor league baseball park in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a mailing address in Lawrenceville). It is the home field of the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

Contents

History

Coolray Field hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 17, 2009, a 7–4 Gwinnett Braves loss to the Norfolk Tides. [5] The stadium site is located approximately two miles (3 km) east of the Mall of Georgia along Georgia State Route 20, between Interstate 85 in Georgia)Interstate 85 and Georgia State Route 316.

The 44-acre (18 ha) site was previously farmland and forest. An additional 73 acres (0.30 km2) of mostly forest around it became a mixed-use project, after a February 2009 rezoning by the Gwinnett County Commission. [6] Naming rights are held by Coolray, an air conditioning and plumbing company based in nearby Marietta.

The stadium construction and maintenance is being paid by the taxpayer-funded Gwinnett County government, but the Stripers will keep most of the revenue from ticket and concession stand sales. The municipal bonds used to pay for the stadium run for 30 years (until 2038), but the Stripers have an option to back out of the contract after only half of that time (in 2023), if the county does not maintain the facility at an acceptable level. This would leave county taxpayers responsible for the remainder. [7]

After the first season, it was revealed that parking revenue was a fraction (about 15%) of what was expected. [8]

The Gwinnett Braves (renamed to the Stripers in 2017) moved to the stadium in 2009 when the Atlanta Braves moved their affiliate, the Richmond Braves, after 43 seasons (1966–2008) in Richmond, Virginia. They are located 35 miles northeast of their parent club's stadium, Truist Park in unincorporated Cobb County—the second-shortest distance between a Triple-A team and its major league parent (behind only the Triple-A West's Tacoma Rainiers, based 26 miles south of Seattle). They have held this distinction since moving to Gwinnett County; the Braves played at Turner Field in Atlanta at the time.

Features

Coolray Field features 19 luxury suites, a 30-foot-by-40-foot video board in right-center field, a 6-foot-by-42-foot LED board along the left-field wall and chairback seating complete with cupholders. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium</span> Former multi-purpose stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, often referred to as Fulton County Stadium and originally named Atlanta Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia. The stadium was home of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball from 1966 until 1996 and the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League from 1966 until 1991. It was built to attract an MLB team and in 1966 succeeded when the Milwaukee Braves relocated from Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheney Stadium</span> Multipurpose stadium in Tacoma, Washington

Cheney Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is primarily used for baseball and is home to the Tacoma Rainiers of the minor league Pacific Coast League. The stadium also hosted professional soccer teams, including the Tacoma Defiance of the USL Championship until 2022 and OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League until 2021. Cheney Stadium opened in 1960 and has a capacity of 6,500 seats. It is next to Henry Foss High School, and the stadium has an agreement with the school to use the school parking lot for parking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas South Arena</span> Indoor arena in Duluth, Georgia, U.S.

The Gas South Arena is an indoor arena in Duluth, Georgia. It is located approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Atlanta. The arena is one of the many venues within the "Gas South District", which also includes a convention center with an events hall and a performing arts center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PNC Field</span> Baseball stadium in Pennsylvania, US

PNC Field is a 10,000-seat minor league baseball stadium that is located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area that was built in 1989 and rebuilt in 2013. The stadium is home to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights Stadium</span>

Knights Stadium was a baseball stadium which served as the home of the International League's Charlotte Knights from 1990 to 2013 and had a capacity of 10,002. The park was located across the state line from Charlotte, North Carolina, in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The stadium closed at the end of the 2013 season and the Knights moved to Truist Field in uptown Charlotte for the 2014 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia)</span> Baseball stadium in Richmond, Virginia, United States

The Diamond is a baseball stadium located in Richmond, Virginia, USA, on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. It is the home of Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League and the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team. From 1985 to 2008, it was the home of the Richmond Braves, the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The Diamond seats 12,134 people for baseball; however, for Flying Squirrels games, advertising banners cover up the top rows of the upper deck, reducing seating capacity to 9,560.

Memorial Stadium is an outdoor baseball park in the western United States in unincorporated Ada County, Idaho, adjacent to the Western Idaho Fairgrounds on the banks of the Boise River. While not physically located within the city of Boise, the stadium has a Boise postal address. The home field of the Boise Hawks of the independent Pioneer League, it has a current seating capacity of 3,452.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clover Park (Florida)</span> Baseball stadium located in Port St. Lucie, Florida

Clover Park is a baseball stadium located in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The stadium was built in time for the 1988 season and holds 7,160 people. It is the spring training home of the New York Mets, as well as the home to the St. Lucie Mets Single-A team and the Florida Complex League Mets Rookie League team. The stadium shares the same field dimensions of the now demolished Shea Stadium. It also sometimes hosts college games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AT&T Field</span>

AT&T Field is a baseball field located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is the home of the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League. The capacity of the stadium is 6,382 people, with the vast majority of seating located on the first base side. Construction of the stadium began in March 1999, and was completed for the 2000 season. The stadium's first game was on April 10, 2000, a 5–4 Chattanooga win.

The Atlanta Crackers were Minor League Baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trustmark Park</span> Baseball stadium

Trustmark Park has been the home of the Mississippi Braves, the Southern League Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves since 2005. It was announced on January 9, 2024, that the Mississippi Braves would be relocating to Columbus, Georgia, for the 2025 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokies Stadium</span>

Smokies Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Kodak, Tennessee, just north of Sevierville and east of Knoxville, adjacent to the tourist centers of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The park, which opened in 2000, has a capacity of 6,412. It is the home of the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League. Smokies Park was constructed as a replacement facility for the since shuttered Bill Meyer Stadium in Knoxville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bank of the James Stadium</span>

Bank of the James Stadium, formerly Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium and originally named "City Stadium", is a ballpark located in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States, and the current home of the minor league Lynchburg Hillcats team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington Park (Columbus, Ohio)</span> Baseball stadium in Columbus, Ohio, US

Huntington Park is a baseball stadium located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Columbus Clippers of the International League, the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AdventHealth Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Rome, GA, US

AdventHealth Stadium, located in Rome, Georgia, has been the home of the Rome Emperors, of the South Atlantic League, since its completion in April 2003. The facility seats 5,105 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Park</span> Baseball Park in Pennsylvania, United States

Coca-Cola Park is an 8,278-seat baseball park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is the home field for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A level Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowling Green Ballpark</span> Baseball stadium in Bowling Green, KY, US

Bowling Green Ballpark is a 4,559-seat stadium in Downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is home to the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the High-A East of Minor League Baseball. This state-of-the-art stadium opened with Citizens First Opening Night on April 17, 2009, to a standing room only crowd of 6,886. The Bowling Green Hot Rods defeated the Kannapolis Intimidators 8–4 in this much anticipated opening game that brought professional baseball to Bowling Green for the first time in 67 years. Many ceremonial "first" pitches were thrown, and the starting lineup of the Hot Rods were driven onto the field by locally owned vintage Hot Rods. The offices for the Bowling Green Hot Rods and several other touches were finally completed after the 2009 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwinnett Stripers</span> Minor league baseball team

The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. They are named for striped bass in reference to the popularity of fishing in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center Parc Stadium</span> College football stadium in Atlanta, Georgia

Center Parc Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The stadium is the home of the Georgia State University Panthers football team as of the 2017 season, replacing the Georgia Dome which had served as their home stadium from the program's inception in 2010 until 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta United 2</span> Soccer team

Atlanta United 2 are the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC. The team plays in MLS Next Pro, the official reserve league of MLS. The team was established on November 14, 2017 and began their first professional season in March 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "Coolray Field". MiLB.com . Retrieved May 17, 2022. Opened: April 2009 (originally called Gwinnett Stadium, renamed Coolray Field in 2010)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Manahan, Theresa (April 19, 2009). "Minor League Stadiums". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  3. ↑ Knight, Graham (May 1, 2009). "Coolray Field". Baseball Pilgrimages. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  4. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ Beitzel, Ben (April 18, 2009). "G-Braves' Loss Can't Ruin New Team's Home Opener". Gwinnett Daily Post . Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ Ward, Jamie (February 4, 2009). "BOC Approves Rezoning Near Stadium". Gwinnett Daily Post . Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ Kass, Arielle (April 2, 2008). "Contract Bringing Braves AAA Farm Team to Gwinnett Signed Tuesday". Gwinnett Daily Post . Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Fox, Patrick (November 6, 2009). "Gwinnett Braves Parking Revenue Falls Short of County Expectations". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  9. ↑ "2012 Gwinnett Braves Digital Media Guide" (PDF). Gwinnett Braves. April 5, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.