PGE Park
as an Interim Venue
 After a $38.5 million overhaul completed in April of
2001, Portland's PGE Park is poised to be a premier interim venue for Major
League Baseball in Portland. Home to the Triple-A Portland Beavers, PGE Park
now offers 38 brand new luxury suites, comfortable seating, a hand-operated
scoreboard, a state-of-the-art public address system and spacious locker rooms
and dugouts. While the recent renovation maintained the ballpark's historic
baseball feel, it also produced wider concourses, accessible concession areas,
new seats, a new NexTurf playing surface and major league field dimensions. PGE
Park is primed for Major League Baseball!
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Current
Amenities
Seating
Capacity - Official seating is 19,566. With standing room in the left field
"Family Fun Deck", and the field level beer garden the capacity is
20,000.
Field Dimensions - 317' to left, 405' to center, 320' to
right. Huge wall in left with Ivy. Roughly the size of the Green Monster at
Fenway. Wall is padded (see below).
Field Surface - With the 2001
renovation to PGE Park, a new playing surface was installed. Designed by the
makers of AstroTurf, NeXturf looks and plays like natural grass, but it drains
quickly, reducing the threat of cancellations and diminshing the length of
potential rain delays.
Nearly a foot beneath the surface, a moisture
barrier rests on the dirt. An intricate maze of perforated drain pipes sit on
the moisture barrier and are covered by six inches of "draining stone." That's
followed by a few inches of porous asphalt, "closed cell" ahtletic foam, and
then the NeXturf.
NeXturf's "Grass Zone" is a layer of tall, silky
fibers resembling blades of grass. It is designed be be much less abrassive
than real grass. The "Root Zone" is a lower, thicker layer of fibers that
provide stability and bulk, just like the roots in natural grass; special
rubber granules have been brushed in to simulate topsoil.
The surface
of PGE Park is rated to handle up to 100 inches of rain an
hour.
Electronic
Scoreboards - 2 electronic programmable scoreboards. One 20' off the ground
in far right. The other hung from the Stadium overhang on the 3rd base side.
Used for player images, stats and animated graphics.
Manual "Retro" Scoreboard - Large clock, and
"church type" bell that is rung for homers. Similar in design to Wrigley's
scoreboard.
Wall Padding - An 8' padded wall runs the length of
left, center and right fields.
Bullpens - "Home" is on field in
far left. Visitors is in far right and is enclosed with netting.
Dugouts - Sunken (one step) bullpens with 3'-4' netted railing for
protection. 3 large wooden benches. 5' cement overhang over each dugout. 15
helmet and glove slots. 21 bat slots per dugout. Home dugout has "batting pad"
just inside the dugout between the doors to enter the clubhouse. This is used
for practice swings during the game.
Number of Press locations -
26 are wired for Internet and phone, expandable to 40. The maximum number of
press requests that have been granted for an MLB game is 150 for the Padres vs.
Mariners exhibition game in March of 2002.
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Photographers
Area - Room for over two dozen photographers is available on the third base
side at ground level.
 Luxury
Suites - 38 total suites. 6 are ground level suites behind home plate. 2 of
the upper level suites, as well as the ground level suites have a capacity of
22. Seating in these are 2 rows of 5 (split with stairs 3x2 per row). The
larger suites have a capacity of 26. 14 seats in 2 rows are made available
here. (rows split by stairs 4x3 per row). Each suite has a 27" television with
cable, and DVD player. There is a large bar level island in the center of each
suite with a fridge. Seating and coffee tables ring the suites along the walls.
Each suite has a roll-up door in case patrons wish to avoid the elements or
have privacy for meeting purposes.
 Concession Stands - 6 split-service stands (2
registers per. 4-6 attendants). One stand devoted to beer only. One large
circular stand in the left field "Family Fun Deck" area has 3 registers, and
serves currently as an Ice Cream and Soda stand. Field level beer garden
(capacity 400) has outdoor BBQ service for dinner menu. Beer and Wine served as
well and is currently sponsored by Widmer Brewing.
Team
Amenities
Officials Office - Umpires locker
room has 10 lockers with a wipeboard.
Coaches Office - Locker
room with lockers and wipeboard. · "Managers" office - Large office with
desk and area for watching Tape.
Film room - Room for watching
film.
Home Clubhouse - 31 lockers ring the room. 2 large couches.
Fridge for drinks. 2 25" TV's suspended from ceiling. Center island table with
storage. Large wipeboard. Room is approx. 30'x50'.
Visiting
Clubhouse - Extremely large room that can be divided in two by collapsible
wall. (designed to accommodate football). Approx. 45 lockers. Wipeboard
installed. No TV. No couches.
Weight Room - 2 large therapy
pools, and one for elbows, and hands, etc. Large room with full length ceiling
to floor mirrors. Rubber padded floor. Room for several machines and plenty of
free weights. · Showers - Room for approx. 16-20. One bench with wall
railing for injured players.
Batting Cage - Regulation length
(60.6') batting cage under the facility.
Laundry - On site
laundry facility. 2 ea. Industrial washers and dryers.
Equipment
room - Locked cage with uniforms, helmets, bats, etc.
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