NewBridge Bank Park

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NewBridge Bank Park
Former names First Horizon Park
Location 408 Bellemeade Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
United States
Broke ground January 21, 2004
Opened April 9, 2005 (Greensboro 3, Hickory 2)
Owner Greensboro Baseball LLC
Operator Greensboro Baseball LLC
Surface Grass
Construction cost $21.5 million
($25.7 million in 2014 dollars[ 1])
Architect Tetra Tech
Moser Mayer Phoenix Associates
General contractor Barton Malow/Samet[1]
Capacity 7,499
Field dimensions Left Field: 315 ft (96 m)
Left Field Jog: 322 ft (98 m) (unposted)
Left-Center: 365 ft (111 m)
Center Field: 400 ft (122 m)
Right-Center: 362 ft (110 m)
Right Field Jog: 320 ft (98 m) (unposted)
Right Field: 312 ft (95 m)
Tenants
Greensboro Grasshoppers (2005-present); ACC Tournament (2010, 2012)

NewBridge Bank Park is a minor league baseball park opened in Spring 2005 by the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Class A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, of the South Atlantic League. The park is on the block bounded by Bellemeade, Edgeworth, Smith, and Eugene Streets in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, United States.

The stadium's current capacity is 7,499, 5,300 of which are chair back seats. The stadium was built to Class AA standards and has room for future expansion.[2] In 2011, the Grasshoppers had the second best average attendance record in the South Atlantic League and the highest total attendance in the league.[3]

History

The team moved here during Winter 2004-2005, leaving their previous home of many decades, World War Memorial Stadium. Lindsay Street, which once cut through the property of the new park, now T's into Eugene, and also provides a direct path to the old stadium. Greensboro's downtown stadium opened its gates to a crowd of 8,540 on April 3, 2005 with a Grasshoppers exhibition game against the Florida Marlins. This state-of-the-art facility features a 30' wide, open-air concourse, 36 concession points of sale, the Go Triad GrandStand outdoor sports bar, a kid-safe play park and numerous amenities.[4]

On May 5, 2009, it was announced that the 2010 ACC Baseball Tournament would be held at NewBridge Bank Park, a change from the discussed location of Fenway Park in Boston, due to economic reasons.[5] Florida State won the tournament.[6]

From May 23–27, 2012, the park hosted the 2012 ACC Baseball Tournament, which was won by Georgia Tech.[7][8] During this time, the University of North Carolina took on North Carolina State University in a game that broke the record for attendance at a college baseball game in the state of North Carolina. It was also the largest crowd ever for an ACC baseball game. The attendance, 10,229, was the largest crowd in the history of NewBridge Bank Park.[9]

Features

NewBridge Bank Park features 16 luxury suites, 20 Grand Stand Boxes, picnic areas, a Grand Stand party deck (located in the left field corner), a state of the art retail store and children's play ground area.

A 30 foot wide open concrete concourse wraps around the ballpark giving fans the opportunity to see the game from any vantage point in the stadium. Fans are served at three major concession stands with 36 points of sale. The Grand Stand provides 3 additional points of sale.[10]

Naming Rights

The ballpark opened in 2005 as First Horizon Park. Memphis, Tennessee-based First Horizon National Corporation was awarded the naming rights of the ballpark on December 7, 2004 for 10 years.[11] On November 7, 2007, it was formally announced that locally-based NewBridge Bank had acquired the ballpark's naming rights, after First Horizon National Corporation ended their agreement with the Grasshoppers.[12] The deal runs through the 2017 season.[13]

References

  • Baseball America Directory 2005
  1. ↑ http://www.starrelectric.net/portfolio/institutional/athletic-facilities/first-horizon-park/
  2. ↑ "Stadium History". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012. 
  3. ↑ "2011 Affiliated Attendance by League". Ballparkdigest.com. August Publications. 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2012. 
  4. ↑ Stadium History
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "2010 Baseball Championship". Atlantic Coast Conference. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012. 
  7. ↑ "2012 Baseball Championships". Atlantic Coast Conference. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012. 
  8. ↑ Justice, David (May 27, 2012). "Eighth-Seeded Ga. Tech Wins ACC Baseball Tournament". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012. 
  9. ↑ Borlik, Joe (May 26, 2012). "Record Crowd of 10,229 Attend UNC/NC State Game in Greensboro". WGHP. Retrieved May 26, 2012. 
  10. ↑ "NewBridge Bank Park". Greensboro Sports Commission. Retrieved August 3, 2012. 
  11. ↑ Haas, Bill (December 8, 2004). "Stadium Naming Rights Sold". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 
  12. ↑ Barron, Richard M. (November 9, 2007). "Ball Park's New Player". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved August 3, 2012. 
  13. ↑ Patterson, Donald W. (November 10, 2007). "Bank, Ballpark Like Their Deal". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 

External links

Current ballparks in the South Atlantic League
Northern Division
Southern Division
Sports venues in the Piedmont Triad
Current
Future
  • --
Defunct

Coordinates: 36°4′36″N 79°47′41″W / 36.07667°N 79.79472°W / 36.07667; -79.79472

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