The Green Bay Bullfrogs have unveiled this rendering of Capital Credit Union Park, the team’s new stadium being built south of the Ashwaubenon village hall. Press File Photo
By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – A site plan to construct a new stadium for the Green Bay Bullfrogs south of the village hall was approved Tuesday, July 24, by the Ashwaubenon village board.
Village Community Development Director Aaron Schuette informed the board of the architectural plans put together by Pendulum Studios of Kansas City on behalf of Big Top Baseball, the Green Bay Bullfrogs, RODAC Development and Construction and the village of Ashwaubenon.
Schuette noted the proposed stadium, for which completion is planned in time to use next summer, calls for having approximately 2,500 fixed seats with room for about 500 people on a berm in left field, along with six suite areas planned within the top portion of the former CTI building on site to be repurposed for the stadium.
“As part of the reconstruction, there will be a second floor actually put into what is currently a 40-foot high bay for cranes,” he said. “A new second floor will be constructed in there. There will be six suites, an entertainment area and also a second-floor seating area will extend out towards the first-base line for some additional seating.”
Schuette also pointed out the outfield wall, running roughly from the right-field line to a little past center field, would be made of shipping containers.
“That was chosen as a material due to a couple of reasons, one of which being cost,” he said. “In order to construct a wall that could handle a wind load, the wall itself would be approximately 20 feet high… The shipping containers were looked at as a more inexpensive way to construct a very high wall, because in right field it’s going to be a very short porch.”
Given that the wall along the right-field line is planned to be less than 300 feet from home plate, Bullfrogs President Vern Stenman said when the team unveiled plans July 17 for the stadium, which will be known as Capital Credit Union Park, that the club next year would be looking for a roster loaded with left-handed hitters.
The team plans to have the wall in right field 19 feet, 19 inches high to commemorate the year the Green Bay Packers were founded in 1919.
Schuette said the pole building on site would be relocated toward the left-field line to provide additional rest rooms, concessions and storage areas.
Some of public safety conditions for approval include not using the shipping containers for storage unless all applicable codes are met, having all commercial cooking equipment Underwriters Laboratory listed as well as being installed and maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and having the interior elevator dimensions being a minimum of 8-feet long and 6-feet wide to allow adequate room for public safety equipment.
As a result of the stadium having an artificial turf surface, Schuette said it will be able to host multiple different events, including baseball, soccer, concerts, movie nights and other community events.
“In order to handle those type of events, proper egress and number of emergency exits must be clarified and approved by public safety, pending the factored occupant load determined by the state of Wisconsin,” he said.
Stadium parking
When asked by Trustee Chris Zirbel about possible parking for the new stadium, which will have little available parking on-site, Schuette said Big Top Baseball works with surrounding businesses.
“If the businesses are okay to allow stadium goers to park there, Big Top Baseball will staff them on behalf of the business and show that you can park here,” he said. “If there’s a business that says ‘You know what, I don’t want people to park here except for my customers,’ Big Top Baseball has told us that they will staff those as well to keep people away who are going to the stadium.”
To get businesses to cooperate, Schuette said Big Top Baseball will work out some sort of deal with the businesses to allow them to partake in some of the events at the stadium.
Schuette, who noted the possible business locations used for parking with stadium events could be “all over,” said using village hall parking next door has been proposed when the village hall is not being used.
He said approximately 1,300 possible parking spots have been identified within a quarter-mile of the stadium site.
Stadium bids
Schuette said bids for the stadium project, which has been projected to cost $10 million, will be opened on Aug. 7.
Village President Mary Kardoskee said a special board meeting for the project is being scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 14.