A new hospitality area is coming to American Family Field – part of a growing trend among Major League Baseball stadiums to develop group event spaces.
The 20,000-square-foot addition is planned for the ballpark’s exterior on the first base side, opening in early 2027, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
It amounts to a significant project, and will be overseen by Brookfield-based Hunzinger Construction Co., said Brian Dworak, facilities manager for the Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District.
That state-created agency is the main owner of the ballpark leased to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dworak spoke about the project at the district’s March 16 board meeting. He referred questions seeking more information to a Brewers spokesman.
“We don’t have any additional details to share at this point,” said Tyler Barnes, Brewers senior vice president – communications and affiliate operations. “More to come later.”
The district, which is responsible for most stadium improvements, has planned for new social gathering spaces at AmFam Field.
MLB stadiums have been developing those in recent years − in part to attract younger fans.
One such “fan-focused” area, planned near the home plate entrance, would serve as an event space “for certain season ticket holders,” Dworak said at a September board meeting
That space, which the ball club is to help fund, also would be available year-round for other events, Dworak said in September.
Meanwhile, the district is proceeding with two other major projects.
Work is to begin this year on the stadium’s winterization, allowing it to host off-season concerts and other events. That could be completed by the end of the 2027 baseball season.
Also, construction starts soon on a public plaza featuring a beer garden. It will be built behind the outfield, near the pedestrian bridge over Wisconsin Highway 175/Brewers Boulevard, and will open this summer.
The projects are being are being covered by the $500 million public fund for AmFam Field’s long-term renovations and improvements created in 2023.
The ball club’s lease of the ballpark runs through 2050.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram,Bluesky, X and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: American Family Field adding event space for both games and off-season
Reporting by Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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