R-Phils Thank the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for Funding for FirstEnergy Stadium Improvements
(Reading, PA) – The Reading Fightin Phils appreciate today’s awarding of $7.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding by Governor Tom Wolf in support of the new facilities, and improvements, at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s investment of $7.5 million in the project, combined with investment of
(Reading, PA) – The Reading Fightin Phils appreciate today’s awarding of $7.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding by Governor Tom Wolf in support of the new facilities, and improvements, at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s investment of $7.5 million in the project, combined with investment of $3 million each from the R-Phils, City of Reading, and County of Berks, will allow for the planned $16.5 million project to move forward.
In addition to renovating several areas, the project will add a new building to FirstEnergy Stadium, to be located in right-center field. The new building will include player clubhouses, field manager’s offices, coach’s offices, a female locker room, training rooms, player dining areas with a kitchen, batting tunnels, bullpens, a weight room, and supporting areas, for both the R-Phils and the visiting teams. These areas will meet the requirements of Major League Baseball.
“We are so very thankful to our elected-officials from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the City of Reading, and the County of Berks, who all worked very hard to achieve this solution”, said Scott Hunsicker, General Manager of the Reading Fightin Phils. “We are excited for the future of FirstEnergy Stadium, as we continue to work hard to ensure that America’s Classic Ballpark remains a family-friendly show piece for our Baseballtown Region, and something that we all can be very proud of.”
The R-Phils and their design team have identified a way to build this new structure so that when the R-Phils are not playing a home game, these new indoor, climate-controlled areas will be multi-dimensional, and flexible, and will be utilized to welcome organizations, businesses, and individuals seeking to host events at FirstEnergy Stadium year-round. When not being used for one of the 70 R-Phils home games each season, the new areas will provide stunning vistas of America’s Classic Ballpark, and will be perfect for hosting banquets, business meetings, community events, parties, weddings, and more. These opportunities to host events year-round will have a positive economic impact for Reading, Berks County, and Pennsylvania, as we all work together to attract more visitors to Reading, PA. More details on this facet of the plan will be made available at a later time.
The R-Phils plan to host a press event, with our elected officials, most likely next week at FirstEnergy Stadium. More details will be provided to the media shortly, in regard to that press event.
Renovations will not affect the R-Phils seasons and will only further enhance our partnership and impact with the local community and beyond. There is no greater feeling than coming together for unconventional entertainment and America’s pastime to make extraordinary memories. The R-Phils look forward to bringing you that for years to come
America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region and was voted the #1 stadium in all of Double-A by MiLB's Ben Hill. Follow the R-Phils at rphils.com, on Twitter and TikTok at @ReadingFightins, on Instagram @fightins, and like them on Facebook via _**www.facebook.com/fightins_** for all information.