A verbal agreement led to what to do with the sculpture in wake of the club's massive West Lot projectLONNIE HANZON
Rockies fans over the years have "passed under the archway of the 'Evolution of the Ball' on their way to Coors Field's Wynkoop Street entrance" since the ballpark opened in '95, but the sculpture "won't be seen anytime soon due to complex architectural issues combined with artistic considerations," according to Kyle Newman of the DENVER POST. Months of negotiations between artist Lonnie Hanzon, the Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District and the Rockies "led to a verbal agreement about what to do with the sculpture in wake of the club's massive West Lot project that's transforming" the area into a "mixed-used entertainment district called McGregor Square." The sculpture is "penciled in to stay on the Wynkoop Walkway, close to its original home, with minimal alterations." The verbal agreement is a "change from the original renderings of the project" released by architecture firm Stantec in December '17, which "didn't feature the sculpture anywhere in the West Lot redesign." The "Evolution of the Ball" sculpture was "one of three public art pieces commissioned in the infancy of Coors Field -- along with 'The Player' statue of Branch Rickey and the 'Bottom of the Ninth' metal-and-neon wall relief." Rockies Exec VP Hal Roth said that the team "paid for the dismantling of the sculpture in October, and the club will also foot the bill for the necessary retrofitting for the piece's new spot" (DENVERPOST.com, 4/5).
IN HIS HONOR: In Denver, Joe Rubino notes McGregor Square is "now the name of the mammoth mixed-use development the Rockies are building across the street from Coors Field," in honor of late team President Keli McGregor, who died unexpectedly in '10. Rockies Owner Dick Monfort said that he "had wrestled with a proper name for the project for more than a year." Monfort: "I’ve been very close with his family, and it’s special to them. It’s special that it’s called McGregor Square. It’s a rightful tribute to a really great guy, a guy I learned a lot from." The three-building project is "expected to bring a 176-room hotel, 112 condos, an office tower and 75,000 square feet of bars" to the area by Jan. 1, 2021 (DENVER POST, 4/5).
GAME WITHIN THE GAME: High-tech fan experience firm MVP Interactive is rolling out a new gaming wall at Coors Field. The 98-foot video wall features a virtual home run derby game and will debut tomorrow for the Rockies' home opener against the Dodgers. MVP Interactive has also done tech-focused fan experiences for the Cubs, Dodgers, Mets and NHL Rangers. MVP Founder & CEO James Giglio said the experiences help engage fans and encourage casual fans to come back to venues (Mike Sunnucks, THE DAILY).
