The Rockies' new-look upper deck in right field at Coors Field, which "cost in the neighborhood" of $10M, is something the team "hopes will help them compete with the neighborhood" near the ballpark, according to Nick Groke of the DENVER POST. Rockies Owner Dick Monfort said, "Looking out our door (at lower downtown) and seeing all those rooftops filled with young adults, and with the demographics in Colorado and who comes to games, (we thought) let's take a chance on this." The Rockies "took about five months to lop off the little-used top portion of the right-field stands and build up a two-level, standing-room only bar area." Monfort said of Marlins Park, whre the Rockies opened on Monday, "In Miami on Monday night, the concourses were packed. People bought a ticket and then they were just hanging out. We wanted to make an area that was better than that" with views of the game. The Rockies are "quick to point out that the money used to build the party deck came from a capital construction fund and from a pool of funds" belonging to the team and the Denver Metropolitan Stadium District that came from Aramark and Regional Transportation District. Monfort said that that money "does not affect what the team spends on player payroll and on-field competition." Anybody "with a ticket can climb to the roof area," but the Rockies also will "sell $14 general admission tickets on most nights that will get you to any standing room-only area at Coors Field, including the Rooftop" (DENVER POST, 4/3).
SPRING CLEANING: MLB.com's Owen Perkins wrote, "Odd as it may seem to think of the Rockies' home ballpark as a relic among the games great cathedrals, Coors Field is actually the third-oldest National League ballpark behind Dodger Stadium (1962) and Wrigley Field (1914)." Two days after the '13 season ended, the club "began a six-month project to ensure Coors Field looks just as fresh for its 20th season as it did in its inaugural season" in '95. Monfort said, "Every 20 years, you've got to freshen the place up." He added of neighboring taverns, "Baseball draws a lot of fans, but they're missing out on a whole group." Monfort has "tried to bring the best ideas he's seen on the road home to Coors Field, borrowing from the likes" of the Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners and Nationals. The result is the "biggest fan deck in sports, a 38,000-square-foot area decked out with comfortable couches and chairs, a fire pit, drink railings, a CHUBurger restaurant and the Tavern Ballpark, complete with a 5,280-inch bar that has 52 taps serving 20 varities of mostly local beers." Monfort said, "I think it'll pizzazz the place up. ... People say it's not 'baseball tradition.' But a lot of people come to our games who aren't really interested in baseball." Monfort pointed out "other new-and-improved features around Coors Field that should add to the fan experience," including Rio on the Rocks, which has "replaced the old Carmina Loft on the mezzanine level in center field." In addition, "10,000 new seats have replaced some of the 20-year-old seats" (MLB.com, 4/2).
MOVE IT OR LOSE IT: In Denver, Ryan Parker reports independent push-cart food vendors who have "been operating in Lower Downtown around Coors Field for years have been abruptly ordered by the city to relocate." The bottom line is there will "be far fewer vendor food options for fans walking to Coors Field this season." Food truck operator Adam Kulikowski and other vendors speculate that the Rockies "had a say in the matter or that the city is unfairly punishing them for the crowds and violence that occur after the bars close" (DENVER POST, 4/3).
