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Arvest Ballpark /
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Though most of the ballpark was completed, there was still a largely unfinished feel to Arvest Ballpark on opening night. It's not that the Northwest Arkansas Naturals were behind in making sure things worked -- they did, perhaps a little smoother than the average ballpark opening -- but there's an unsettled and unfinished quality to the area surrounding the ballpark, as well as some large open areas within the ballpark walls just screaming for tents, party areas and other fan offerings. This is a ballpark that proudly eschews the trends in ballpark design over the last decade. There are no retro qualities to Arvest Ballpark: it's thoroughly modern, featuring lots of glass and no exposed steel. Forget about a downtown and urban location: the ballpark is located in agricultural territory, surrounded by working farms. (In fact, grazing cattle have a great view of the action.) The seating bowl sports a circular design we haven't seen in years. And it's surely one of the most understated new ballparks we've visited in the past five years: no firepits or giant loon nests here. So, there's not a lot of flash here. But Arvest Ballpark is a solid effort, though we suspect it will please the staff of the Naturals and players a little more than fans, at least in the first several years before the area around the ballpark is built up.
Under the Hood Similarly, behind the scenes are other features designed to make the ballpark a year-round facility. A sponsored community room, located off the main concourse, opens to a terrace outside the ballpark linking up to the main entrance. This allows for the community room to be opened even if the ballpark is closed.
A Modern Design Speaking of the suites: they are larger than you find in most new minor-league parks. The outdoor seats have individual armrests, something DiNitto thinks will be found more in suites. "People in suites expect their seats to be nicer," he says. Four panels slide from four into one and the door can be propped open, dramatically opening up the suite. There are 25 suites in the ballpark, but the suite level can be expanded down each line to accommodate additional suites or open party areas. The canopy above the suite level is also a modern touch; canopies are also used to provide shelter at the ticket entrances as well. "We were amazed features like the canopy made it through the bidding process and survived," DiNitto says. "Normally you lose some things like that, but what we saved on steel and concrete we applied to things like the canopy and the stonework." They serve a practical purpose of sheltering the suite outdoor seating, much of the bowl and the concourses, but their greatest impact is aesthetic: Arvest Ballpark is best viewed at night, and the dramatic lighting under the canopy adds much to that cool atmosphere, as you can see in the photo below.
For the Fans One of the criticisms of circular design is that fans can be located far from the action, but that's not the case at Arvest Ballpark; the seating bowl is intimate, so you never feel too far from the action. Arvest Ballpark is a facility designed for the restless. Concourses are 40 feet wide between the bases: there's a standard 30-foot-wide concourse and another 10 feet (at least) to the concessions and outbuildings. (Of course, you can do this sort of thing when your ballpark site is 40 acres.) The spaciousness extends to the outfield, where there's a lot of space between the concourse walkway and the ballpark fence.
In fact, there may be too much space here. Opening night featured a large crowd -- 7,820 -- so there was a lot of energy in the ballpark. But we're guessing crowds like that won't be the case all season long. When there's a crowd of 4,000, there's going to be the potential that the ballpark won't feel filled, and the Naturals will probably face the task of trying to keep crowds excited. But what we saw opening night won't be how the ballpark is run in a month, we're guessing, as there were no operating portable concession stands in the concourse (leading to some ungodly lines at the four concession stands). Northwest Arkansas is an interesting area right now. Earlier we referred to the fact that leaders didn't ask for a retro ballpark, which isn't a surprise: this is an area focused on building for the future, and we don't see a lot of evidence of working to hearken to the past. The ballpark site was once an arbor and then a vineyard, but those industries have been largely displaced by the poultry industry -- Tyson is a prominent sponsor and employer in the region, and members of the Tyson family are planning new development next to the ballpark. In homage to the area (one of the few in the ballpark) DiNitto says the ballpark concourse is an oval -- specifically, an ovoid in the shape of an egg. (You can see it somewhat in the overhead shot below.) It's clever, but we're guessing most fans won't notice.
In another nice design tough, an alcove in left field will be available for concerts and pre/postgame events. Currently the space is used to store groundskeeping equipment, but a special trailer currently used in Buffalo's Dunn Tire Park will be used for special events.
Several seat options are available. In an unusual move -- at least for a ballpark in affiliated ball -- there is a picnic area behind home plate, in an area usually reserved for season-ticket holders. Twenty-eight picnic tables are available for groups or individuals. You normally don't see group areas in such prime real estate, but DiNitto says it's a logical move: per caps from groups are three to four times more than from season-ticket holders, and groups will show up no matter what the weather conditions are. The other group area is the Bullpen Cafe in left field, which features five rows of picnic tables overlooking the field and the visitors' bullpen, as well as a freestanding concession building.
Concessions Parking
In the End And, we're guessing the ultimate feel of the ballpark will be shaped by what happens in the area. There are plans to develop most of the land between the freeway and the ballpark, and there are tentative plans for a 8,000-10,000-seat arena next door. When that happens, the ballpark site won't feel quite so remote. While Arvest Ballpark is certainly worth a visit today, we're excited to watch how the facility evolves with the rest of the Springdale community. |
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