West Michigan Whitecaps Modernization Project

January 12, 2023

By 

West Michigan Whitecaps

For 30 years, LMCU Ballpark has hosted countless milestones and events that have left a lasting impression on the West Michigan community and the game of baseball. The home of the West Michigan Whitecaps has hosted more than 11 million fans, sent dozens of players to the Detroit Tigers, earned six Midwest League championships, and created hundreds of jobs to help drive the local economy.

Today, Whitecaps leadership announced that they are doubling down and embarking on a multi-year project that will reinvest in the next 30 years of Whitecaps baseball by reimagining what LMCU Ballpark can be for baseball, the community, and the local entertainment landscape.

Whitecaps management has worked with Detroit-based architecture firm ROSSETTI, a worldwide leader in the design of sports and entertainment facilities, for more than a year to develop plans to modernize LMCU Ballpark and cement it as a state-of-the-art facility that will entertain and embrace new generations of families, fans and players for years to come. West Michigan-based Erhardt Construction is the general contractor, and Progressive AE is assisting with several aspects of the project.

Joe Chamberlin, Whitecaps CEO and Managing Partner, said the construction project will ensure that LMCU Ballpark remains one of the best facilities in the nation.

“This ballpark is full of history, championships, and memories for so many West Michigan families, including my own,” said Chamberlin. “Our primary objective in leading this franchise has always been to ensure that we are growing our fan base and that we are preparing to meet the needs of the next generation of Whitecaps fans, just as we have done for fans over the last 30 years. Once complete, this project will deliver the venue that the “best minor league sports market in the country” deserves and will ensure that LMCU Ballpark remains a top tier facility, both locally and nationally, for Whitecaps games, concerts, and special events for decades to come.”

The project will be divided into phases, with Phase 1 construction work beginning in just a few months to be completed prior to Opening Day 2024. All phases of the project are expected to be fully completed in roughly five years, based on baseball schedules, construction timelines and securing needed support and required approvals for future phases from Plainfield Township. LMCU Ballpark is one of a small number of privately financed Minor League stadiums in the country. As such, Phase 1 and all future phases will rely on significant private investment along with targeted public support to reach completion.

“Bringing all phases of this project to completion is going to be a heavy lift for our organization and ownership group,” Chamberlin said. “We are incredibly confident that our track record of success will help us secure the community stakeholder support we will need from the township and other partners to make all future phases of this reimagine a reality for the West Michigan community.”

When all project elements are complete, the construction phases are designed so that the final product offers a cohesive look, as if all phases were completed together. ROSSETTI took inspiration for the overall design from familiar lakeshore and beach town mainstays such as boardwalks, dune and beach grass, exposed beams, and outdoor social gathering spaces.

Kirk Phillips, a ROSSETTI partner who led the project, said it was important to him to ensure that his firm’s vision would build upon an already outstanding professional facility.

“ROSSETTI is honored to partner with the Whitecaps organization to reimagine a West Michigan destination: LMCU Ballpark,” Phillips said. “These design renovations will enhance the experience for baseball fans and players alike, creating new social spaces and addressing player facilities to exceed MLB standards. When completed, the improved ballpark will surprise and delight this great community for many future seasons. It was important to us to go above and beyond when reimagining LMCU Ballpark because it is so well-known in the industry as a top-notch facility. We feel the improvements to this unique facility will be impressive at any professional level.”

Source: West Michigan Whitecaps

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