MOOSIC
One day before opening night at PNC Field, officials unveiled the refurbished ballpark filled with new high-tech features but also marked with signs of ongoing construction as contractors scramble to the finish line.
About 1,500 fans filed into the $43 million stadium on Wednesday for their first look at the new ballpark and its amenities - including the 150-foot long LED video board on the right center field wall, the Family Fun Zone packed with a moon bounce, slide and other inflatables behind center field and the bar seating behind right field.
While operations appeared to be running smoothly at the concession stands and all seats were in place, a yellow rope blocked fans off from entering the lawn seating area - which, when ready, will seat 2,500 people.
Impacted by the wintry weather, the seating likely won't be open until May. Workers just put the sod down on Monday, stadium authority Chairman James Timlin said.
Outside the stadium, stacks of wood, piles of dirt and construction trucks occupied sections of the gravel parking lot, which likely won't be paved this year.
But the landscaping and paving work, which will likely continue through the start of the season, won't affect baseball.
The RailRiders will take the field tonight against the Pawtucket Red Sox.
"I have told people all year long, we would have baseball opening night," said Mr. Timlin, who acknowledged the tight timetable left some concerned construction wouldn't be finished on time. "There are some things we want to eventually address, such as the patches of dirt behind the stadium and the paving, but our main concern was to get the stadium baseball ready."
Mr. Timlin said the total project cost exceeded the $43.3 price tag by about $1.5 to $2 million, though he couldn't give an exact figure. Most of the extra costs were change orders necessary to add items, such as handicap accessible ramps.
"It's just some things we ran into that we hadn't previously thought of, but that's something you get in any $45 million project," Mr. Timlin said.
Seated in his office wearing a headset to stay in constant communication with his staff, RailRiders President and General Manager Rob Crain said he was excited fans braved the cold temperatures and heavy winds for the "sneak peak."
Just days after officials announced thousands of seats were still available for the opener, Mr. Crain said just a few hundred "standing room only" seats are left.
"There has been a lot of interest in opening up the new ballpark and seeing what it looks like, so it's not really surprising," Mr. Crain said. "Today was great, because we needed to work the kinks out - make sure the all the warmers work, toilets flush and things like that."
Though all the major components of the stadium are ready aside from the lawn seating, Mr. Crain said contractors will paint the "yellow home run line" along the fence and add padding to the walls this morning.
Then, everything will be ready.
"It's been a long process and we are just ready for some baseball," Mr. Crain said.
Despite the remaining work, most fans, including Carl Salitis, agreed the ballpark looked "absolutely great."
The Throop man who has had season tickets for 21 years often visited Cinemark movie theater's parking lot - located above the field - just to gauge progress on construction.
"I would go out there just to see how everything looked, and I honestly didn't know if it would be ready," Mr. Salitis said. "I'm ready to get back in my seat behind home plate."
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter