Fans traveling to the new Sarpy County ballpark next season should take along some extra cash.
The Omaha Royals plan to charge fans for parking in about three-fourths of the estimated 1,800 spaces.
About 900 of the spaces will cost $2. About 450 closest to the stadium, considered VIP parking, will cost $5. The 450 spots farthest from the entrance will be free.
The team is finishing its final season at Rosenblatt Stadium, where parking is free.
“We think we priced it appropriately,” Royals General Manager Martie Cordaro said last week. “If you get there early enough, you will still be able to take advantage of the free-parking option.”
The 31-acre stadium site west of Papillion, near Highway 370 and 126th Street, will have nearly 6,400 seats and a capacity of 9,000 when including berm and picnic areas.
The Royals plan to make the new stadium available as a year-round venue. Besides 72 home games, the Royals might host special events such as classic car shows, exhibition baseball games, charity walks, concerts, art shows and children's Halloween activities.
They also want to open the field to Omaha-area high school baseball teams, American Legion squads and collegiate teams, Cordaro said.
Construction remains on schedule, Cordaro said. Crews started installing the first sets of bleacher seating last week.
The stadium will feature 15 suites, open concourses, a year-round gift shop and a public watering hole dubbed the Scoreboard. One concourse will be named Rosenblatt Way, the other Bob Gibson Boulevard.
The team hopes to sell about 1,850 season tickets for its inaugural season in Sarpy County. About 85 percent of the current 800 season ticket holders have renewed their tickets for next season, Cordaro said.
On Aug. 21, the team will kick off a campaign to select a new nickname. After fans submit suggestions, they can vote from a list of names. The winner will be chosen over the winter.
The Kansas City Royals' Class AAA team in Omaha has carried the parent club's nickname since its inception in 1969, with the exception of a three-year run from 1999 through 2001 when it was known as the Omaha Golden Spikes.
“I guarantee you ‘Omaha' will not change,” Cordaro said. “And we will not be the Golden Spikes, either. Even if that name gets submitted, it will not make the final list.
“This is the time for us to do everything new. New logos, new colors. We have the opportunity to do it now, if we are going to do it.”
Contact the writer:
444-1056, john.ferak@owh.com
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