Classic Park
Classic Auto Group Park is a stadium in Eastlake, Ohio, in the suburbs of Cleveland. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Lake County Captains minor league baseball team. It was built in 2003 at a cost of $22 million under the name Eastlake Park and holds 7,273 people.
 | |
| Location | 35300 Vine Street Eastlake, OH 44095 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°38′28″N 81°26′8″W |
| Owner | City of Eastlake |
| Operator | Lake County Captains Baseball Club |
| Capacity | 7,273 |
| Field size | Left Field: 320 ft (98 m) Center Field: 400 ft (122 m) Right Field: 320 ft (98 m) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 9, 2002[1] |
| Opened | April 10, 2003 |
| Construction cost | $22 million ($35 million in 2022 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | DLR Group |
| Project manager | Ozanne Construction Company[3] |
| Structural engineer | MC Engineers, Inc.[4] |
| Services engineer | CT Consultants, Inc. |
| General contractor | Turner Construction[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Lake County Captains (MWL/High-A Central) 2003–present Lake Erie Storm (NCAA) 2017–present | |
Although not immediately apparent to non-locals, the stadium bears a corporate name. The naming rights were purchased by Classic Automotive Group, a large Cleveland-area chain of auto dealerships.[6]
Financing
In order to construct Classic Park, Eastlake, Ohio assumed $1 million in debt. This debt necessitated cuts in public services, including the laying off of five police officers and a reduction in the scope of police services.[7]
Features
The field was voted as the Best Playing Surface in the South Atlantic League in 2003, 2004 and 2007. Other features include a 4,000-square foot indoor batting facility with two full-sized batting cages. The main clubhouse building is located beyond the right-field corner and houses both the Captains and visiting teams. Each clubhouse features offices for the manager and coaching staff, a training room, and laundry facilities.[5] The Captains' dugout is on the 1st base side, while the visitor dugout is on the 3rd base side.
The ballpark and playing field are available for rent to area businesses and baseball leagues. Many organizations play games at the stadium during the year and the team operates a fundraising program enabling teams to play games there and make money for their organization at the same time.
The stadium features two large party tents which can accommodate up to 500 guests in each one. In addition, there are two private Party Decks located on the suite level which can hold up to 60 people in each one. The park also features 20 party suites which can be rented for the season, half-season, quarter-season or on a game-by-game basis. The suite level also features a full-service bar and an oversized private party suite called The Officer's Club.
References
- Truman, Dave (May 11, 2002). "Eastlake, Ohio, Baseball Stadium Seen as a Tool for Economic Growth". The News-Herald. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- "Ozanne Construction Co". Builders Exchange. Sabre Publishing. 4 (10). October 1, 2005. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- "Robert Bell, PE" (PDF). MC Engineers, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
- "About Classic Park". Minor League Baseball. October 26, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- Bonchak, Jean (June 30, 2012). "Most Influential: Influence of Classic Auto Group Owner Drives through Lake County". The News-Herald. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
- "Eastlake Makes Changes To Pay Off Debt". WEWS. Cleveland. June 29, 2006. Archived from the original on July 8, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2006.