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Lake Olmstead Stadium

Summary

Lake Olmstead Stadium is a baseball park in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It was built between the 1994[1] and 1995 seasons[2] to replace Heaton Stadium on the same site[8] and can hold 4,822 people. The stadium also serves as an outdoor-arena style event venue.

Lake Olmstead Stadium
Map
Location78 Milledge Road
Augusta, GA 30904
Coordinates33°29′42″N 82°0′2″W / 33.49500°N 82.00056°W / 33.49500; -82.00056
OwnerCity of Augusta
OperatorAgon Sports and Entertainment
Capacity4,822
Record attendance5,828 (May 19, 2009)[7]
Field sizeLeft Field: 330 feet
Center Field: 400 feet
Right Field: 330 feet
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 7, 1994[1]
OpenedApril 10, 1995[2]
Construction cost$3 million[3]
($6 million in 2023 dollars[4])
ArchitectWoodhurst Architects[5]
Structural engineerCranston Engineering Group PC[6]
General contractorR. W. Allen & Associates[5]
Tenants
Augusta GreenJackets (SAL) 1995–2017
Augusta Jaguars (Peach Belt) 2009–2018

Lake Olmstead Stadium was primarily used as the home field of the Augusta GreenJackets of the Class A South Atlantic League from 1995[2] to 2017, after which the GreenJackets moved to the new SRP Park across the Savannah River in North Augusta, South Carolina, in 2018.[9]

Lake Olmstead Stadium was the home field of the Augusta University Jaguars baseball team for most of their games from 2009 to 2013[10] and all of their games from 2014 to 2018;[11] however, the team elected to return to Jaguar Field on the Forest Hills campus full-time starting in the 2019 season.[12]

Features edit

The stadium has nearly 1,000 box seats, 830 reserved seats and over 2,500 general admission seats. In 2006, the Budweiser Party Pavilion was built down the right field line. This new area can host picnics anywhere from 20 people to as many as 500 people.[13]

Improvements edit

Before the 2007 season, the Cintas Cool Zone was constructed and the Fun Zone playground area down the left-field line was revamped.[14]

Future edit

With the GreenJackets' departure, the Augusta-Richmond County commission faces questions on how to utilize the ballpark. One proposal was leaving the ballpark as-is with Augusta University as the primary tenant while another proposal was to renovate the ballpark into an amphitheater.[15] In August 2018 it was reported that the issues hadn't been resolved yet, but that, regarding the interest of Augusta University or Paine College, "it doesn't look like that's the route we're going to take."[16] In October 2018 Recreation officials recommended to city commissioners that they do modest repairs to the facility to begin holding events, short of a full-scale renovation estimated to cost $640,000.[17]

In 2020, the city reached an agreement with a concert promoter to manage the stadium and cover the costs to make it a state-of-the-art outdoor venue in exchange for hosting events there for free for a limited time. The first event scheduled, a concert series during Masters Week in March 2022, was cancelled a month ahead of the event, and stadium work was stopped citing soil instability.[18]

As of March 2023, the stadium is unusable and the city is pursuing a lawsuit against the company they contracted with for repairs.[19] In April 2023, the company filed a countersuit against the city.[18]

Notable events edit

Bob Dylan performed at the stadium during his 2006 North American Tour on August 17, 2006.[20]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Fans Seek Stadium Souvenirs". The Augusta Chronicle. September 7, 1994. pp. 6A.
  2. ^ a b c Batten, Sammy (April 10, 1995). "Greenjackets Sweep Generals". Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  3. ^ Pahigian, Josh (2007). The Ultimate Minor League Baseball Road Trip: A Fan's Guide to AAA, AA, A, and Independent League Stadiums. Lyons Press. p. 176. ISBN 9781599210247. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Joint Resolution Public Facilities Amendment Heaton Stadium". City of Augusta, GA. September 7, 1994. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  6. ^ "Athletic and Recreational Facilities". Cranston Engineering Group. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  7. ^ Byler, Billy (May 31, 2009). "Rehabbing stars play major roles in minors". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved August 5, 2018. Smoltz ... brought in an announced crowd of 5.828. The crowd was the largest in the history of Lake Olmstead Stadium.
  8. ^ Sanders, Steve (July 29, 2007). "Similar proposal for a new home was made in '93". The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  9. ^ Spedden, Zach (January 11, 2017). "Work Begins on Project Jackson". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  10. ^ "Diamond Jags Set To Open 2009 Slate". Augusta University. January 29, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "Diamond Jags Announce 2011 Slate". Augusta University. November 18, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "Diamond Jags Unveil 2012 Slate". Augusta University. December 5, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "Diamond Jags Unveil 2013 Slate". Augusta University. January 9, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  11. ^ "Jaguar Baseball Lifts Lid On 2014 Slate". Augusta University. January 7, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "Jags Baseball Releases 2015 Schedule". Augusta University. December 5, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "2016 Augusta University Baseball at Lake Olmstead Stadium". MiLB.com. February 12, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "Augusta Baseball Sets Promo Dates For 2017 Season". Augusta University. February 22, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
    "Augusta Hosts 29 Games At Lake Olmstead Stadium In 2018 Schedule". Augusta University. December 4, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  12. ^ "Augusta Baseball Returns Home For 2019 Schedule". Augusta University. December 4, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  13. ^ "Lake Olmstead Stadium". MiLB.com. February 5, 2009. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  14. ^ Sanders, Steve (March 30, 2007). "Fans Can Chill Out with Cool Additions". The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  15. ^ Corwin, Tom (March 8, 2018). "Fate of Lake Olmstead Stadium uncertain". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  16. ^ Corwin, Tom (August 18, 2018). "Commissioners pondering options on Lake Olmstead Stadium". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  17. ^ Spedden, Zach (October 31, 2018). "Augusta Plans Lake Olmstead Stadium Repairs". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Legoas, Miguel (April 13, 2023). "C4 Live countersues Augusta leaders over Lake Olmstead Stadium, defunct XPR Augusta". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Eskola, George (March 1, 2023). "Augusta's Lake Olmstead Stadium lawsuit disputes claim of soil problems as an issue". WJBF. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  20. ^ Uhles, Steven (August 25, 2006). "Pop Rocks: Baseball Stadium Is Perfect for Shows". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved August 9, 2013.

External links edit

  • Augusta Greenjackets Profile
  • Lake Olmstead Stadium Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues