Huntington Park (Columbus, Ohio)

Huntington Park is a baseball stadium located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Columbus Clippers of the International League, the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians since 2009.

Huntington Park
Location330 Huntington Park Lane
Columbus, Ohio
United States
Coordinates39.968619°N 83.010743°W / 39.968619; -83.010743
Public transit 3, 8
OwnerFranklin County government
OperatorFranklin County government
Capacity10,100
Field sizeLeft field: 325 ft (99 m)
Left-center field: 360 ft (110 m)
Center field: 400 ft (120 m)
Right-center field: 365 ft (111 m)
Right field: 318 ft (97 m)
SurfaceNatural Grass
Construction
Broke groundAugust 2, 2007
OpenedApril 18, 2009
Construction cost$70 Million[1]
($83.4 million in 2019 dollars[2])
Architect360 Architecture
Moody Nolan, Inc.
Project managerInternational Facilities Group, LLC.[3]
Structural engineerJezerinac Geers & Associates, Inc.[4]
Services engineerPrater Engineering Associates, Inc.[3]
General contractorTurner/Tuttle[5][6]
Main contractorsMcDaniel’s Construction Corp., Inc.[7]
Tenants
Columbus Clippers (IL) 2009–present
Website
http://huntingtonparkcolumbus.com/

Groundbreaking for the ballpark took place on August 2, 2007, with construction being completed in April 2009. Designed by 360 Architecture and developed by Nationwide Realty Investors, the 10,100-seat stadium is part of a $70 million project. The stadium is at the corner of Neil Avenue and Nationwide Boulevard in the Arena District of Columbus and replaced the Clippers' former home, Cooper Stadium.

In February 2006, the naming rights for the park were purchased by Huntington Bancshares Inc. for $12 million over 23 years.[8] On April 18, 2009, the park opened to the public, with the Columbus Clippers playing the Toledo Mud Hens in the stadium's first game.[9]

On August 12, 2009, Huntington Park was named the Ballpark of the Year by Baseballparks.com, beating out all other new or significantly renovated baseball stadiums in the country, including such Major League parks as the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. The award is given to the new stadium with the "best combination of superior design, attractive site selection and fan amenities."

The ballpark's attendance record was set on July 26, 2010 when 12,517 fans saw the Clippers defeat the Pawtucket Red Sox, 11–7.[10]

The coldest game played in the history of the stadium saw Clippers take on the Pawtucket Red Sox on April 16, 2018, amidst snow flurries and 35 degree weather.

The ballpark was built adjacent to the old Ohio Penitentiary site.

Construction issues

The selection of the construction firms to build the ballpark was a contentious issue. On November 5, 2007, Lithko Contracting of Hamilton filed suit against Franklin County. At issue was the fact that the contract for pouring concrete was awarded to Baker Construction despite Lithko's bid coming in $17,500 lower.[11] It was alleged that the Franklin County Commissioners had favored Baker over Lithko because Baker employed union labor and Lithko did not. Because the Commissioners did not want to face delays due to a lawsuit, they awarded the contract to Lithko on November 9, 2007.[12]

The county was subsequently sued two more times by firms after they were denied the contracts despite being low bidders.[13] In those cases, the county rejected the low bid due to allegations of "prevailing wage" violations by the low bidders. State Representative Larry Wolpert (R-23) had asked the state controlling board not to release $7 million in funds until the low bidders were selected.

Features

The ballpark includes 32 suites, 42 loge boxes, and 650 club seats.[14] The Left Field Building includes a 110-foot bar with six open patios overlooking the field on the second story. The third story is The AEP Power Pavilion, an open air rooftop with bleachers reminiscent of Wrigley Field. The Picnic Terrace in left field will offer fans a place to relax and take in a ballgame 325 feet down the line. The Wendy's Hamburger Balconies in right field overlook a 22-foot wall that is only 318 feet down the line.[15]

Other uses

The park hosted the 2009, 2011, and 2012 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournaments.[16][17][18]

The park has also hosted the OHSAA High School Baseball state championship games since its opening in 2009.

The stadium hosted both the Triple-A All-Star Game and the Triple-A National Championship Game in 2018.[19]

Concerts

On June 22, 2010 Huntington Park held its first major concert. The Dave Matthews Band performed on a stage in center field.[20]

On June 14, 2012 REO Speedwagon performed a concert at Huntington Park.

See also

References
  1. Carmen, Barbara (March 16, 2009). "Huntington Park a Hit for Sponsors". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  2. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  3. "Huntington Park". Reed Construction Data. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  4. "Our Projects". Jezerinac Geers & Associates. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  5. "Huntington Park". Turner Construction Company. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  6. "New Huntington Ball Park" (PDF). Tuttle Construction. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  7. "Brouchure" (PDF). McDaniel’s Construction Corp., Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  8. Bell, Jeff (February 6, 2006). "Huntington Buys Naming Rights for Ballpark". Columbus Business First. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  9. Massie, Jim (April 18, 2009). "Huntington Park's Opening Day: Birth of a Ballpark". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  10. Massie, Jim (July 27, 2010). "Columbus 11, Pawtucket 7: Clippers Treat Record Crowd". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  11. Carmen, Barbara (November 6, 2007). "Contractor Sues for Stadium Bid". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
  12. Carmen, Barbara (November 10, 2007). "Stadium Contract Awarded to Non-union Shop". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
  13. Carmen, Barbara (March 6, 2008). "Union Had Role in Ballpark Rules, Suit Says". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
  14. "Comparable Facility Case Studies" (PDF). Convention, Sports & Leisure. September 12, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  15. "Huntington Park". Greater Columbus Sports Commission. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  16. "Big Ten 2008–2009 Championship/Tournament Schedule". Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  17. "Big Ten 2010–2011 Championship/Tournament Schedule". Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  18. Baird, Nathan (May 26, 2012). "Benches Clear as Purdue Beats Indiana for Big Ten Tourney Title". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  19. "Clippers to Make 10th Season at Huntington Park Extra Special in 2018". OurSports Central. April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  20. Budzak, Gary (June 23, 2010). "A Solid Hit, But It Stays in Park". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Cooper Stadium		 Home of the
Columbus Clippers
2009–present		 Succeeded by
current
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