CHS Field is a baseball park in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is home to the St. Paul Saints of the International League of Minor League Baseball, as well as home to Hamline University's baseball team. With the Saints' affiliation to the Minnesota Twins, beginning in 2021, CHS Field is the second smallest Triple-A ballpark in the Minors, and the closest (at a distance of 12.9 miles along surface streets and Interstate 94) to its tenant's parent MLB club.
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| Location | 360 Broadway Street Lowertown Historic District Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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| Coordinates | 44°57′03.1″N 93°05′03.1″W / 44.950861°N 93.084194°W |
| Public transit |  Green Line at Union Depot |
| Owner | City of Saint Paul[4] |
| Operator | St. Paul Saints[4] |
| Capacity | 7,210[5] |
| Field size | Left field: 330 feet (100 m) Center field: 405 feet (123 m) Right field: 320 feet (98 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 10, 2014[1] |
| Opened | May 21, 2015[2][3] |
| Construction cost | US$64.7 million[5] ($83.2 million in 2023 dollars[6]) |
| Architect | Ryan A+E, Inc., AECOM & Snow Kreilich Architects[7] |
| Main contractors | Ryan Companies[4] |
| Tenants | |
| St. Paul Saints (AA/AAAE/IL) 2015–present Hamline University (MIAC) 2015–present | |
History
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Located in the historic Lowertown District of Saint Paul, the park is built upon the former site of a long-vacant industrial-use facility. In September 2012, the stadium was approved for $25 million in funding from the Minnesota Legislature. The remainder of the funding for the US$64 million project was shared between the city and the Saints.[8]
The construction of this new ballpark was prompted in part by the deteriorating state of the Saints' original ballpark, Midway Stadium, which was built in 1982.[4] Midway Stadium was located in an industrial area of Saint Paul, near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. A groundbreaking event was held by the Saints on May 10, 2014, with the first concrete being poured on the site.[1]
On September 8, 2014, it was announced that Fortune 100 cooperative CHS Inc., based in nearby Inver Grove Heights, had acquired the naming rights to the ballpark.[9] The Saints played their first game at the park on May 18, 2015, against the Sioux City Explorers in an exhibition match. The first regular season game was against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on May 21, 2015.[3] On August 2, 2016, CHS Field hosted the American Association All-Star Game.[citation needed] The Saints again hosted the event on July 23, 2019.[10]
In July 2017, the field hosted the Minnesota American Legion Baseball State Tournament, which was won by Tri-City Red, with Ham Lake also advancing to the Central Plains Regional Tournament.
The Saints have shattered attendance records since the park's opening in 2015, shattering the American Association mark in the park's opening season by drawing 404,528 fans, while also setting an independent professional baseball record by drawing 8,091 fans per night.[citation needed] The following season they bettered both marks, drawing 413,482 on an average of 8,438 fans over 49 dates.[citation needed] The Saints set a franchise record on August 13, 2019, by drawing 10,631 fans to a 10-2 victory over Winnipeg.[11]
Ballpark features
editBeyond left field is a grassy picnic area known as "The Lawn" which can seat 1,000 people. Designed for groups, the picnic area offers a buffet-style selection of food.[12]
CHS Field also boasts several environmentally-friendly features. An estimated 12 percent of the stadium's electricity is generated by 300 solar panels. A 27,000-gallon rain water collector supplies the park's sprinklers and toilets. Biking to the park is encouraged, with 24 bike racks placed adjacent to the park on Broadway Street.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Walsh, James (May 14, 2014). "Concrete work begins on new Lowertown ballpark". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ a b Melo, Frederick (October 28, 2014). "St. Paul Saints ballpark opening game set: May 21". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Saint Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Lowertown ballpark FAQs". Lowertown Ballpark. City of Saint Paul. 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Chart: CHS Field facts". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Lowertown ballpark". RyanCompanies.com. Ryan Companies. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ^ Melo, Frederick (September 13, 2012). "St. Paul: With $25M in state funding, Saints ballpark in Lowertown is a go". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Saint Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Saints' New Home Gets A Name: CHS Field". WCCO-TV. September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
- ^ "American Association All-Stars Announced". American Association. July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "Saints Turn Tables on Goldeyes in Front of Record Crowd, Even Series with 10-2 Win". Our Sports Central. August 13, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "Group ticket information - The Lawn". saintsbaseball.com. St. Paul Saints. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.