Kern County sets plans to revitalize Sam Lynn Ballpark

• Renovations are estimated to cost around 1.4 million.
• These upgrades should bring more fan attraction and raise ticket sales.
• The parking lot will be the first to get upgraded then the stadium will follow.
  

The Kern County Board of Supervisors approved the bidding to begin to remodel integral parts of Sam Lynn's ballpark. I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. To name a couple the county plans to revitalize the locker rooms and scoreboard.
The current tenants of the ballpark the Bakersfield Train Robbers. Are happy to call Sam Lynn their home. With all the historic memories, and features that it brings like being one of only two ballparks in the country that faces west.

Luke Eskew Bakersfield Train Robber said "It's important to get more fanfare here just to get recognized as a professional team in town. I know when the blaze left, a lot of people missed them being here. So hopefully these upgrades can encourage more people to come to games. Hoping we can get more exposure to bring more fans here."

This project will upgrade locker rooms for the players, bathrooms for the fans, adding AC to the press box, along with other upgrades. The county plans to bring these improvements to life by March 2025.

"The clubhouse is important because it's been through the wringer we've had a lot of flooding issues. The floors, walls, and everything are falling apart. For me as team mom, what I want is for the clubhouse to be a comfortable place for the team to come back to. Whether it's coming back after an 11 pm game or four days on the road. The clubhouse should feel like a second home." said Lauren Kizziar Team Mom

Chief General Services Officer for Kern County Geoffry Hill says "This has been a facility that has been in the county's possession for a long time. It has a storied history with baseball in Kern County. It is valuable to the community & It's a place where people go to see ball games."

The county estimates this project will cost around 1.4 million dollars. The players tell me they're excited for the upgrades. Especially including the ones that the come to relax before or after the games.

"Just have patience there will be some disruptions while we're paving. There could be some disruptions during the construction. But just be patient and look forward to a great project." said Geoffrey Hill.

The county doesn't plan on shutting down the park while construction is going on. For 23ABC I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighbor reporter.