LANSING — The grass needs to be greener at Jackson Field, and the new state budget has a special allocation that is likely going help make that happen.
The turf upgrade is a Major League Baseball requirement for the minor league Lansing Lugnuts to be able to play in 2025, Tristan Wright, LEPFA's director, told city council members during a May committee meeting.
Major League Baseball officials directed requests for comment about Jackson Field's turf to the local team. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, a Lugnuts spokesperson, said the turf was last replaced around the end of 2016.
Wright declined comment for this story, and LEPFA did not respond to a request for more information about the state appropriation.
The $82.5 billion spending plan passed this week by the Legislature is awaiting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's signature. It includes about $400 million in pork, or earmarks for special projects, including about $80 million for the three-county Lansing region. The $1 million for "Lansing Lugnuts Infrastructure Improvements" is among those earmarks.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said the city-owned field where the minor league Lugnuts play is a treasure.
"This funding from the state will help cover costs, keep our baseball stadium in compliance with MLB regulations and maintain a safe and attractive-looking field," he said in a statement.
Jackson Field is the centerpiece of the city's Stadium District, surrounded by restaurants and upscale apartments, just a few blocks from the Michigan Capitol. Last year, nearly 333,000 people visited Jackson Field to watch the Lugnuts play, according to city officials.
Opened in 1996, the baseball stadium is operated by the Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority.
The city paid LEPFA a $606,000 subsidy in 2023 for Jackson Field, which was greater than the stadium's expenses of $473,455 that year, according to financial information from LEPFA.
The stadium underwent a $13.5 million renovation in 2015. That project, paid with city-issued bonds, included updated restrooms, team locker rooms, batting cages, fan seats, suites, picnic areas and playground equipment, concessions areas, stadium lighting, scoreboard, digital ribbon boards wrapping the suite deck, audio systems and signs.
The team drew 332,971 fans in 2023. That's about 10% more than 2019 and 2% higher than 2022.
Councilmember Ryan Kost said an evening game can have fireworks, entertainment and is one of the best values for a night out with family or friends.
Same-day lawn admission is $12 for adults, bleacher seats are $15 and clubhouse seats are $46, according to the box office website.
With the city's 2023 subsidy for Jackson Field being more than Jackson Field's operating expenses, that extra money is typically used for pricy long-term maintenance issues such as the turf and a necessary HVAC replacement for units that are nearly 30 years old, Kost said.
The stadium is needed, as an economic driver and community asset, but LEPFA needs to do more to bring more people into the stadium, Kost said.
The stadium hosts a number of non-baseball events, including Crosstown Showdown, Capital Clash, Beerfest at the Ballpark, the Michigan Legislative Softball Game, the Special Olympics Polar Plunge, the Olive Burger Festival, the Playmakers Fitness Foundation Michigan Mile and some concerts.
Kost said the stadium, when it was opened and he was young, held a wider variety of events. He said it could be used throughout the year for more community events, such as coordinating an ice hockey exhibition to coincide with the winter-kickoff Kringle Holiday Market in downtown or hosting more summer movie nights.
City council members have criticized LEPFA for using taxpayer money to stabilize the operations of Groesbeck Golf Course and the Lansing Center, a convention center, as well as the stadium. In May, to highlight their value rather than advocate for their sale, Councilmember Peter Spadafore tentatively proposed selling the three properties.
Jackson Field is the third name for the stadium.
It opened as Oldsmobile Park, a 15-year and $1.5 million deal with General Motors, and then became the Cooley Law School Stadium for 11 years, starting in 2010, in a $1.48 million deal. It was renamed Jackson Field in 2020, a seven-year deal with Jackson National Life Insurance.
LEPFA has made recent repairs at the stadium, according to officials. Those include:
- Fall 2021: 27-year-old outfield lighting upgraded with LED lights that can be controlled in sections rather than as a whole, at a cost of $650,000.
- 2021-2022: Locker room renovations to accommodate women in sports, no dollar figure provided.
- Fall 2023: Extra batting tunnel added, outfield padding and anti-slip padding to dugout areas, $1,200,000.
- The Lugnuts home locker room area and weight room were expanded, no dollar figure provided.
Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415
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