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Seats to be Replaced at Knology Park

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: September 22, 2007

DUNEDIN, Fla. - DUNEDIN, Fla. - Baseball fans enjoying spring training games of the Toronto Blue Jays at Knology Park may find more comfortable seating from which to cheer on their favorite team.

The city plans to replace 4,000 weathered seats at the municipally owned stadium, said Assistant City Manager Harry Gross.

Under a long-term lease agreement with the baseball team, the city is responsible for the upkeep of items such as stadium seats.

Knology Park seats 5,500. Some seating was installed during renovations in 2000, but there are 4,000 seats still in use from 1989 that are in need of attention, the assistant city manager said.

A recent inspection revealed 525 of those seats are cracked or broken and in need of immediate repair, Gross said.

"The remainder are seriously faded and will probably exhibit structural degradation within the next few years," he added.

The city's Stadium Advisory Committee recently recommended implementing a seating-replacement project at the baseball stadium.

In addition to playing a central role in the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training activities each March, Knology Park is the home of the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League.

City officials believe the time is ripe to replace all 4,000 seats at today's prices rather than face spending a lot more in just a few years, Gross said.

The project, estimated to cost about $140,000, will be put out for bid if the City Commission approves.

Money to pay for the project will come from the city's stadium replacement fund. The seat replacement is the sort of thing city officials had in mind when they created the fund a few years ago, Gross said.

While still the city's leisure services director, Gross said, he worked with the Stadium Advisory Committee to develop a 10-year capital replacement list. So, expenditures such as this could be planned and budgeted, he said.

Gross said he asked city maintenance and leisure services staff to provide him with information on any other infrastructure needs that might be coming up at Knology Park.

The ball park on Douglas Avenue was called Dunedin Stadium at Grant Field before cable TV service provider Knology purchased the naming rights.

Approximately $75,000 has already been budgeted for restroom renovation.

The replacement fund has $175,373 in unencumbered reserves. So, if more pressing items become apparent, then only the 525 damaged seats will be replaced before 2008 spring training, Gross said.

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