Ponce, PR. builds First ever Baseball/Track & Field Venue

The Ponce Lions in Puerto Rico will be playing in a newly renovated stadium for the 2006 winter league season.  What makes this field different from any I have ever worked on is that it also includes a track & field venue.  Not just a regular track and field facility... this one hosts International Track Meets at the highest level , most recently hosting the Caribbean championships.  Before it was renovated the home plate was over 115 feet from the front row of seats.  With the renovation they are now about 68 feet from the first row, providing a much better seat for baseball fans.

As you can see from the photo, the playing field is synthetic and the cutouts where the bases will be placed for baseball games are exposed as well.  Home plate will be located on top of the track. We designed the track to be about 4 to 5 inches lower than the turf areas. After the summer track events, all of the track areas surrounding the field will be covered with trays of synthetic turf to prepare for the baseball season. The trays have been specifically designed to provide a smooth transition when installed. Similar Tray systems are used in Toronto at the sky dome.  Other improvements include a new scoreboard, dugouts, bullpens, grandstand, padding and removable fencing.  The City of Ponce decided to renovate this facility to make room for two sports instead of build a separate stadium. The size of the field in the center of the track will also allow for soccer or football events. 

The mound will be built on a removable plate and all other cutout areas will be covered with plastic and synthetic turf.  Its going to be one of the most unique venues in baseball this year and great city to visit.