After months of speculation, back and forth and close calls, the Baltimore Orioles are staying in Charm City for at least 15 more years.
The recently-signed new lease can be extended another 15 years based on development in the area and developmental rights being secured. Additionally, the lease can total up to 50 years, with four five-year extensions that can be picked up after the initial 30 years.
While full details of the lease have yet to be divulged, some details are coming out when it pertains to the $600 million of taxpayer-funded bonds. This opens the door to various upgrades, enhancements and remodels to be done at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
One thing the Orioles want to achieve is to create a more social atmosphere at and around the ballpark. Some of the things discussed to be implemented are bars, restaurants, additions to the Kids’ Corner and even a club and new hotel.
“People will speak about Baltimore like, ‘Wow, Baltimore is cutting-edge,’ which is what they said about Camden Yards,” Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos said on the initial upgrade plans. “If we develop it right and we include that impactful community program module, we can change the whole brand of Baltimore.”
Most fans would hear this and wonder how Angelos would plead poverty during an interview with the New York Times. Instead of quelling fears of losing young cornerstones like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, Angelos responded by saying in order to sign “big market contracts,” he would have to drastically raise prices at the Camden Yards. This is coming from a millionaire running a team estimated to be valued at $1.7 billion. But signing players and enhancing OPACY and the surrounding area comes from taxpayer-backed money.
Angelos and Maryland Governor Wes Moore stopped in Atlanta during a trip to Orioles spring training to tour the Braves’ sporting complex, The Battery Atlanta, which contains a mix of shops, dining, living and workspace in the area surrounding one of the newer and highly-rated ballparks in baseball, Truist Park. The idea behind making OPACY more of a small city, or sports complex, would provide new sources of revenue for the team. Utilizing areas such as the B&O Warehouse and vacant Camden Station, the vision is to provide a more inviting social atmosphere to the ballpark that forever changed baseball.
“It’s really about taking a brand new Baltimore and pushing it higher,” Angelos said. “But you need that leadership. You need government and private coming together. I think we can really do something amazing. We’re so well-located. The community is diverse and robust and growing. We can do it. We just need to think big. We did it before.”
The first area to be affected would be the left field upper deck. This area is often only used for special series, such as big promotional giveaways and events, Opening Day and postseason games. By adding a bar/restaurant-style area, it provides fans an opportunity to enjoy the game from a different perspective, all while enjoying some food and/or adult beverages.
Utilizing the warehouse, the Orioles could add private suites or hotel rooms, an exclusive restaurant or bar for VIPs and a new-and-improved Kids’ Corner. This would follow such parks as Petco Park in San Diego, Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field and Coors Field in Colorado.
Another area that was mentioned for upgrades and renovation are the home and visitors locker rooms. With the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox recently upgrading their locker rooms, the Orioles clubhouse has fallen behind the rest of the league. While they do have a small child care area and family room, the clubhouse pales in comparison with other ballparks. Such improvements could include a bigger weight room with new equipment, a larger player family and socializing area, new lockers, lightning and a food area for the players and coaches.
The Orioles also mentioned improving the sound system at the stadium and upgrading the video boards, increasing the size for better viewership. This is something Birdland fans have been requesting for quite some time.
The money the Orioles are able to use is not only to improve the experience for fans but also to improve the stadium for the players as well. Adding restaurants, bars and stores would become extra revenue sources that the Orioles could use to help towards free agency additions and re-signing players.
Improving the fan experience, as well as the players’ experience, is nothing but beneficial to making the experience at OPACY that much more enjoyable. While taxpayer-funded bonds are what the funding of these projects would be, fans should be the ones who benefit the most out of these projects going forward.
What upgrade do you think you would enjoy the most at Oriole Park at Camden Yards? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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