| Knights Stadium | |
|---|---|
| The Castle | |
| Former names | Knight's Castle The Castle |
| Location | 2280 Deerfield Drive Fort Mill, SC 29715 |
| Broke ground | February 20, 1989[1] |
| Opened | April 5, 1990 |
| Owner | Charlotte Knights |
| Operator | Charlotte Knights |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $12 million[2] ($20.2 million in 2012 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Odell Associates Inc.[2] |
| General Contractor | McDevitt & Street Construction Co.[4] |
| Capacity | 10,002 |
| Field dimensions | Left Field — 326 feet Center Field — 400 feet Right Field — 325 feet |
| Tenants | |
| Charlotte Knights (IL) (1990–present) | |
Knights Stadium is the home of the International League's Charlotte Knights, the AAA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. It was opened in 1990 and seats 10,002 fans. The park is actually across the state line from Charlotte, North Carolina in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Knights Stadium is easily accessible from Interstate 77. Exit 88 (Gold Hill Road) connects the expressway with the stadium. Near the stadium is a water tower painted to resemble a baseball on a tee, which can be seen from Interstate 77.
Plans to build the Knights a new stadium in the heart of Uptown Charlotte are currently on hold, as the team and York County have agreed in principle upon a four-year lease for the team to play at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill. Agreement will add fan related upgrades to facility.
The stadium was built to Major League Baseball specifications to be used should Charlotte land a major league team. Since any major league team moving to Charlotte would more than likely build its own stadium closer to downtown, any such use of the stadium would be temporary.
During construction, the Knights, then a member of the Class AA Southern League, played in an 8,000-seat temporary stadium known as Knights Castle. The present stadium was originally known as Knights Castle, but was renamed to Knights Stadium in the late 1990s. The stadium is still known among Charlotteans as The Castle.
If the Knights get their wish for an uptown stadium it would create the problem of what to do with this stadium. Some locals have expressed that they would like to see the stadium converted for football and soccer use since the stadium isn't very old.
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