An artist rendering of the new Terrace Hub section at Progressive Field. Renovation work on the ballpark will be performed under both a Project Labor Agreement and a Community Benefits Agreement by affiliated members of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council [Left]. Work to update Progressive Field will be performed following the 2023 and 2024 baseball seasons at an estimated cost of $202.5 million. The new right field upper deck [Middle] and the Dugout Club [Right] are both expected to be finished before the start of the 2025 season.

The Cleveland Guardians released details of their upcoming renovation project to re-imagine their nearly 30-year-old ballpark.

Renovation work on Progressive Field, the 11th-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, will begin upon the conclusion of the 2023 season and be performed by affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades under a Project Labor Agreement and a Community Benefits Agreement.

Dave Wondolowski, Executive Secretary and Business Manager of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, said the projects will create about 600 construction jobs.

For the CBCTC affiliated members who work on the ballpark, knowing they are a part of transformative project to rebuild a city icon will make it more than a normal jobsite.

“Anytime we work on a project like this, there is great pride,” Wondolowski said.

The construction will be broken into two phases and take place during the next two off-seasons.

By the start of the 2024 season, work is expected to be complete on the upper deck and the E. 9th Street building. The remaining work – Terrace Hub, Dugout Club, home and visiting clubhouses, the service level and the Guardians administrative offices – are scheduled to be finished by the start of the 2025 season.

According to Guardians President of Business Operations Brian Barren, the new fan-facing renovation projects have a heavy emphasis on expanded social experiences at the ballpark.

The renovations are the direct result of the Guardians’ new lease extension at Progressive Field, which was announced last year and included both private and public funds to perform the work. Per terms of the new lease, about $17 million in annual funding will come from the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, while the State of Ohio will contribute $2 million a year.

The work is estimated to cost about $202.5 million, with $67.5 million coming from the Guardians. The club is also responsible to cover any cost overages that may result from the projects. The remaining portions will come from three public entities.

Wondolowski said that since this project is partially-funded with public money, it should be constructed under a CBA in order to ensure the workforce represents the city and county.

Oftentimes, a CBA will mandate a certain percentage of minorities, women and/or residents work on a project. It can also include similar contractor goals.

“Progressive Field has been a fantastic home to Cleveland Baseball since it opened in 1994,” said Cleveland Guardians Owner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul Dolan in a prepared statement. “We are excited to continue to call Progressive Field home for decades to come, and we look forward to providing new experiences and updated enhancements to our fans, players and

staff through renovation projects that will continue to keep our ballpark competitive as one of the best venues in Major League Baseball.”

When fans walk through the gates for the 2024 season, they will find that the revamped upper deck will feature multiple social spaces for fans to enjoy the game, a Beer Garden down the left field line and a new group outing space in right field. There will also be new concession spaces, including two new View Box bars that will flank home plate and allow for more open sightlines from the upper deck concourse.

The following year, fans will get to experience a re-imagined Terrace Club, which features an open-air hub with terraced-ticketed seating on the 200- and 300-levels, and a new expansive authentic-to-Cleveland Beer Hall food and beverage experience on the 400-level that will be open to all ticketed patrons at Progressive Field.

The ticketed seating sections will have their own private club space on the 300-level.

When it comes to premium seating, the new Dugout Club will retain the current field-level seats, while creating a new exclusive lounge behind home plate. The Club will also feature seven private lounges to allow for groups to enjoy an exclusive experience.

Both clubhouses, as well as the ballpark Service Level, will be updated for the first time since the ballpark opened in 1994. The new home clubhouse will be completely reimagined with a focus on player amenities that focus on performance, training and recovery.

It will improve the organization’s ability to support players through expanded and enhanced strength and conditioning and athletic training areas, improved kitchen facilities, as well as more robust technological support for players, coaches and staff members.

To allow for the clubhouse expansion, a new four-level E. 9th Street building will be erected in right field to allow for a new kitchen and commissary for the Guardians concessionaire, as well as additional storage facilities for the ballpark.

The rooftop of the new E. 9th Street building will connect to the Upper Concourse and serve as a new group space at Progressive Field.

The Guardians Front Office will also be fully renovated for the first time since 1994, including a fifth floor added to the current four-level structure.

“Year over year we are continuously striving to achieve our ultimate goal of winning a World Series Championship for the City of Cleveland,” said President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti. “To achieve that goal, we need to provide our players the adequate space and amenities to focus on training, recovery and rehabilitation, and those will be the biggest focus areas as we build out the renovated clubhouse space.”

Manica is the lead design architect on the finalized projects, while Ohio-based Moody Nolan – the largest African American architectural firm in the U.S. – is serving as the architect of record.

Mortenson is the national construction manager. Independence Construction will work with Mortenson in providing construction management services. The AKA Team, a local minority and female-owned company and a certified Cleveland Small Business, will serve as an additional Associate Construction Manager for the project.