Dozer Park
| Dozer Park | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Former names | O'Brien Field (2002–2013)[1] |
| Location |
730 Southwest Jefferson Street Peoria, IL 61605 |
| Coordinates | 40°41′15″N 89°35′51″W / 40.68750°N 89.59750°WCoordinates: 40°41′15″N 89°35′51″W / 40.68750°N 89.59750°W |
| Broke ground | 2001 |
| Opened | May 24, 2002[1] |
| Owner | Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball LLC |
| Operator | Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball LLC |
| Surface | Sod (1–1¼ inches) |
| Construction cost |
$23 million ($29.9 million in 2014 dollars[ 1]) |
| Architect | HNTB |
| Services engineer | Clark Engineers MW Inc.[2] |
| General contractor | River City Construction LLC[2] |
| Main contractors | Prairie Construction Systems Inc.[2] |
| Capacity | 7,500 |
| Field dimensions |
Left Field: 310 ft (94.49 m) Left Center: 375 ft (114.3 m) Center Field: 400 ft (121.92 m) Right Center: 375 ft (114.3 m) Right Field: 310 ft (94.49 m) |
| Tenants | |
|
Peoria Chiefs (2002-present) Bradley Braves | |
Dozer Park, formerly O'Brien Field, is a baseball field located in downtown Peoria, Illinois.[3] It is the home of the Peoria Chiefs, the Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals; the Chiefs previously played at Meinen Field. The college baseball team of Bradley University also uses the field. It opened on May 24, 2002.[1]
History
Official groundbreaking ceremonies for the $23 million multi-purpose stadium took place on August 16, 2001.[4] The stadium opened on May 24, 2002 as O'Brien Field,[1] with a game between the Chiefs and the Kane County Cougars.[5]
O'Brien Auto Team held the original naming rights to the facility.[5]
In 2011, the stadium hosted to the IHSA Class 1A and 2A baseball state finals. This was the first year the games were played at the facility.[6]
The Peoria Chiefs became financially troubled. In April 2013, the Chiefs, including the stadium, received $7.35 million in financing and debt forgiveness. The plan included forgiveness of $1.2 million in debt to the City of Peoria; $250,000 more from Bradley University than was being paid before for the Bradley Braves baseball team to use the stadium for 10 years; and $2 million in funding from Caterpillar Inc. for naming rights over 10 years; and $2.7 million in new investment of cash and equity by the Chiefs' ownership group of about 50.[7]
On May 10, 2013, Caterpillar and the Chiefs announced that the stadium would be renamed to "Dozer Park", a reference to Caterpillar bulldozers.[3][1]
The field
Dozer Park's sod has an 8-inch (200 mm) deep root zone of 90% sand and 10% Dakota peat for nutrition. The high concentration of sand naturally relieves soil compaction.
Beneath the sand and peat mix are 6 inches (150 mm) of gravel. Running through the gravel are drainage tiles that run from home plate to center field. A huge sump pump beyond center field then drains into the city sewer system.
The makeup of the pitcher's mound and batter's boxes are almost 100% clay because it packs better and holds moisture well. The rest of the infield skin area is around 80% clay and 20% sand.
The field will hold up to 5 inches (130 mm) of rain an hour.
The field is mowed every day during homestands, trimmed to 1–1 1⁄4 inches (25–32 mm) high. It takes less than an hour to cut the outfield grass with a 72-inch (1.8 m) cut mower. A walk-behind mower is used for the infield.
The price tag for the field itself was around $450,000.[8]
Luxury suites
Dozer Park accommodates 20 luxury suites. Examples include:
- Peoria attorney Jay Janssen’s suite — "A large, ornate Oriental rug covers most of the green-carpeted suite, which includes six candelabra wall sconces, a chandelier in the center, cherry wood cabinetry and chair rail, decorative border print, a green marble-topped table, a rose-colored granite pedestal bar overlooking the field and burgundy leather stools and chairs. In the kitchenette, a full-sized refrigerator is accompanied by a full-size oven and a sink with a gold-plated faucet."[9]
- Caterpillar, Inc. owns a double suite that is primarily used to entertain the customers and VIP guests the company hosts in the community.[9]
Food
Other than the five fixed concession stands there are mobile carts around the park. The Chiefs' concessionaire is Professional Sports Catering.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Chiefs Stadium Renamed Dozer Park". Peoria Chiefs. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "O'Brien Field". SportsBusiness Journal. May 27, 2002. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cape, Kevin (May 10, 2013). "Caterpillar Names Baseball Stadium 'Dozer Park'". Journal Star (Peoria). Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ "South Bend Takes Pair of Games from Chiefs". The Pantagraph (Bloomington–Normal). August 11, 2001. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Stadium History". Peoria Chiefs. December 2, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ "Baseball State Finals: 1A/2A Tournament Moves To Peoria, 3A/4A Extended In Joliet". IHSA Announcements. October 12, 2010. Archived from the original on 06-08-2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ↑ Vlahos, Nick (April 30, 2013). "Peoria City Council Approves Financial Restructuring for Chiefs". Journal Star (Peoria). Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ Reynolds, Dave. "Guide to O'Brien Field". Journal Star (Peoria). Archived from the original on June 3, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Big-League Style Ballpark a Hit in Peoria". Journal Star (Peoria). October 19, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ "Who We're Working With". Professional Sports Catering. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
External links
- Ballpark — official website, with history and records
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