The future of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ current home, Chase Field, could be decided in a timeline of one or two months, president and CEO Derrick Hall told Bickley & Marotta on Thursday.
Owner Ken Kendrick and Hall in February said they were prepared to spend “hundreds of millions” of dollars on a renovation of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. That, or the team would spend more to build a new home elsewhere in Maricopa County.
The Diamondbacks’ home field this past week was listed as the 27th-ranked ballpark in MLB by USA Today’s ForTheWin, once again bringing up the aging stadium’s need for a refresh.
“I think fans are reacting the same way that I have for seven to 10 years,” Hall said on Arizona Sports. “We’ve identified the needs of this ballpark and we’ve said if we’re going to stay here — which we’re going to know very, very soon, I’d say within the next month to two months — if we’re staying here, I don’t think we will rank or rate where we are now, say, in the next three years.
“We know what the improvements need to be here. And there’s a lot.”
Hall said Chase Field’s upgrades would be discernable by fans as the team replaces the video board, scoreboard, audio system, LED lights, premium areas, suites and lower-level club area.
There’s more to be done behind the scenes for the stadium that was finished before the D-backs’ inaugural season in 1998.
The roof has been limited to being opened and closed only when fans are not in attendance, and the guts of the stadium have had their own issues. Hall has said staying at Chase Field would require a long-term renovation process.
“Just like Wrigley Field, people now look and go, ‘Woo, it looks like a brand new stadium.’ That’s what this would be, too, if indeed we’re going to stay here, and we’re working on that,” Hall said.