Back to page 1
The Design
So we’ve seen that the rebuilding of Cheney has given its exterior a fantastic new look. Let’s look at its profound impact on the park’s interior.
Before you even reach your seats, you will walk through impressive new spaces in the concourse area behind the seating bowl.
  |
The shot on the left side above shows you what the area behind the seating bowl was like prior to the renovation. The sickly color of cinder blocks was prevalent, and the concession stands and souvenir store were stuck under the concrete of the seating bowl. As you can see on the right, concession stands are no longer under the seats. This forms a more natural concourse, while the space underneath the seats themselves is used for clubhouses and restrooms. And to say that the color scheme is more inviting is a huge understatement.
The oversized concrete roof that covered the stands before the renovations was removed. This permitted two entire levels to be added at the rear of the seating bowl. These levels, when combined with the brand-new tower that was constructed behind the seating bowl behind home plate, bring a wealth of new facilities. This expansion is really the key to the renovation. Yes, the new levels and tower are very attractive on the outside, but the facilities inside are even more impressive.
  |
On the first level, which is more or less one story up from the main concourse at ground level, features luxury suites (example above left), the pressbox and very nice office space for the team (which is particularly welcome, since the Rainiers’ office staff used to have their offices off site) that includes a wonderful, large conference room with a view of the field. The reception area for the offices is shown above right.
On the uppermost level are more suites and a gorgeous new season-ticket-holder lounge called the Summit Club. The Club’s name comes not only from the fact that you’re in the highest point in the stadium, but also from the view of Mount Rainier through the windows on the back-side of the lounge — when the mountain’s out, of course!
The Summit Club (below left), which is quite reminiscent of the phenomenal Metropolitan Club at Target Field in Minneapolis, has a definite big-league feel. “We used to have a partial plan for Mariner games at Safeco Field,” said Jane Piercy of nearby Gig Harbor, WA, while sitting in a seat just outside the lounge. “(Going to Seattle) was a real hassle, though. We find we enjoy coming to Rainier games more because it saves us time and money.” She and her husband Scott also appreciate the fact that their Summit Club tickets allow them to sit inside the lounge or out in the seats on the field side of the club (below right). Scott added, “I can’t believe they made this many changes in one offseason.”
  |
The changes didn’t stop with the two new upper levels, though. The brand-new tower that was constructed has a souvenir store on the ground floor. While it’s not quite as large as I’d like to see in a new Triple-A store, it’s still a huge leap forward from the nook where they sold merchandise in past years. In addition, the wooden roof over all this new space is phenemonal in its own right. Its beams are made entirely of beautiful Douglas Fir using a process called “glu-lam.” Now, I’d never heard of glu-lam, but I was fortunate to stumble across Brandon Merrill in the stands. Brandon is carpenter from Bonney Lake, WA, and he was actually one of the workers who built and installed the roof at Cheney. “Glu-lam is when you take lots of parallel strands of lumber and glue them together to form long beams,” he explained. The heaviest of those beams at Cheney, by the way, weighs over 7000 pounds. The result is an absolutely gorgeous look, both inside the top level of the building and out.
Out in the seating area, the bleachers that were along the first-base line were ripped out and replaced with a very nice berm, which has become a very popular feature at Minor League parks in recent years. The berm has a row of very handy picnic tables at its upper edge (below left). Another noticeable change occurred with the bullpens, which were removed from the traditional spots in foul territory and placed end-to-end just beyond the left-field wall. “Moving the bullpens out beyond the wall was a good aesthetic change for the ballpark,” fan Scott Piercy said approvingly.
The playing field itself was not changed, though. “Home plate stayed put,” said Rainiers Media Development Manager Ben Spradling. “We did move the backstop 15 feet closer to the plate, though, because we added three rows of seats in front of what used to be the first row.” This area is called the Dugout Club (below right), and if anything, you’re closer to the batter and the catcher than players sitting in the dugouts. Adding rows of premium seats between what used to be the front of the stands was also done at Charlotte Sports Park when HOK (Populous’ previous name) was the architects who designed the rebuilding of the spring training park now used by the Rays.
  |
One area that was not changed was the multi-level picnic areas down the third-base line. These are very popular with groups, and if you want to see Mount Rainier (assuming it’s out), this is the best vantage point in the ballpark.
The Essentials
So the numerous changes made to Cheney Stadium prior to the 2011 season certainly resulted in a more attractive and comfortable ballpark. But what’s it like to attend a game here?
 |
The parking situation isn’t drastically different than before the renovation. It still costs $5 whether you park on the outfield (i.e., high school) side or behind home plate … however, if you park near the school, you can make use of the brand-new entry gate (complete with ticket office) beyond left field. This is especially handy if you’re joining a group in the party decks near the left-field foul pole.
The most expensive tickets, as you might imagine, are for the new Dugout Club and Summit Club areas. Those aren’t available for single-game purchase, but for some games, the box seats right behind the Dugout Club area are. They will run you $25. Most of the chairback seats in the stadium fall into the “reserved” category, and cost $11 when purchased in advance. General admission tickets are $7. There are discounts for children under 15, seniors and those in the military. For groups, the party decks (below left) include food, drink and even some parking passes. They start at $24 per person.
  |
There are now twice as many concession points-of-sale than before, so lines are shorter. One of the unexpected benefits of all of this expansion is that there are far more food choices. Especially welcome are Northwest favorites at the concession stand called Narrows Catch. Here you’ll find fish and chips for $8.50, a crab-cake sandwich for $8.50, clam chowder in a bread bowl for $8.00 and my favorite, a grilled salmon sandwich (above right). It’s a might pricey at $9.00, but it was incredibly delicious.
That souvenir store (shown below) that isn’t quite as large as I’d like to see, has merchandise at reasonable prices. Most adult T-shirts are $19.99. Fitted caps are $29.99 and $34.99, while adjustable caps are $26.99. And they do carry my favorite souvenir item, lapel pins.
  |
The scoreboards are interesting, in that the main source for game information is a board in right-center field, while a high-definition video screen illuminates the night sky from left-center (above right). Its images are very crisp and bright. Just to its left is a ribbon board above the left-field fence that serves mostly to display ads. I should point out that all three of these boards were all in place prior to the renovation.
Speaking of ads, since I’ve mentioned this in the reviews of other parks, I’ll mention here: I’m not a fan of advertising for casinos and gambling interests inside baseball facilities. The PCL has more offenders of this kind than any other league — heck, one park is named for a casino, and there are teams in both Reno and Las Vegas — but I’m old-fashioned enough to believe that if gambling is bad for players to do, it shouldn’t be promoted to the fans. And, yes, there are some very visible ads for a casino in Cheney Stadium, and I for one wish they weren’t there.
Otherwise, I found Cheney Stadium to be a family-friendly place, although there weren’t as many child-focused play areas as I would’ve thought.
   |
What the ballpark lacks in playgrounds, though, it more than makes up for in art (above). “Public facilities in the State of Washington usually display works of art,” Spradling explained. “The lights above the stadium name on the front (of the entry building) are an example, as are the fish that look like they’re swimming above the first-base gate.” Further, there is a series of mosaics on the retaining wall near the party decks. And confirming Spradling’s assertion about public buildings in Washington, Safeco Field features countless pieces of art, both large and small.
But perhaps the most noteworthy piece of art at Cheney Stadium is a statue that has stood — well, sat actually — in the same place since 1995. Yes, Ben Cheney didn’t budge from his favorite seat in the ballpark, even while $30 million of renovations were happening all around him last winter.
  |
Summary
“The reaction has been absolutely positive,” Spradling observed when asked what the fans have had to say about the new Cheney Stadium. “Fans who have been coming for years rave about all of the new features. The consensus is that we’ve done it right.”
Indeed, there are so many new facets to the park that you can barely take them all in during a single visit.
 |
The best aspect of all? “Probably the Pacific Northwest theme,” he said. “There is a Northwest vibe to it that is really neat. It’s really a positive representation of the region.”
Even when the region’s most famous mountain isn’t out.