Reading Fightin Phils awarded $7.5M for stadium renovations
It looks like the Fightin Phils are going to be able to stay in Reading.
State officials announced Friday that a renovation project at FirstEnergy Stadium has been awarded a $7.5 million grant. That money — added to a total of $9 million pledged by the team, Reading and Berks County — will cover the cost of improvements required by Major League Baseball.
The improvements are part of a new deal between Major League Baseball and minor league teams like the Fightins that mandates that stadiums must meet a new set of standards. And the city-owned FirstEnergy Stadium falls short.
If renovations are not made, Major League Baseball could potentially take the team away.
Facing the monumental task of raising more than $16 million to make the necessary changes, the team and local officials banded together when news of the situation became public this summer.
Reading Fightin Phils General Manager Scott Hunsicker came up with a plan for the team, city and county to each contribute $3 million to the effort. He said at the time that pot of money would enable the team to reach out to the state to fill in the remaining gap.
Hunsicker had said he believed the project was a perfect candidate to receive funds through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The mission of that program is to provide money for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, recreational and historical improvement projects.
The team submitted its request for $7.5 million in matching funds in March. And on Friday, they got
the good news that they had been awarded the money.
The project at the stadium consists of constructing a threestory structure that will house the home and visiting clubhouses, a female locker room, batting tunnels, a weight room, a team dining area, team laundry facilities, space for equipment storage, an indoor event space and other enhancements.
Hunsicker said in a statement Friday that the team is thankful to those who lent their support
to the project. He credited officials who represent the state, the county and the city for working hard to find a solution to the challenges the organization was facing as the deadline to make the necessary improvements was looming.
“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 showpiece for our Baseballtown Region and something that we
all can be very proud of,” he said.
Several elected officials who represent Berks County had pledged to do whatever they could to keep the Fightins in Reading, advocating for the stadium project to receive state funding. On Friday, they applauded the news that the state had stepped up to the plate.
In a joint statement, state Sen. Judy Schwank and state Reps. Mark Rozzi and Manuel Guzman said they were deeply grateful to Gov. Tom Wolf for understanding
the team’s role as a driver of economic activity and a source of community identity.
“Losing the Fightin Phils was never an option and keeping the team in Reading has been one of my top economic development priorities,” said Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Democrat. “Officials from the state, county and local level were all on the same page and acted quickly and with urgency to find funding. We really worked together, and across party lines, to get this done.”
Schwank said the potential exit of the Fightins would have meant losing a piece of our heritage and our identity as a community and resulted in a significant hit to our regional economy.
Rozzi said his priority has always been to protect that legacy and tradition.
“I am proud to bring home the funding necessary to support our mission of preserving FirstEnergy Stadium as the premier minor league ballpark in the country,” the Muhlenberg Township Democrat said. “It is my honor to keep one of the greatest organizations, the Fightin Phils, right where it belongs — here in Reading.”
Guzman, who has fond memories of going to the ballpark to watch the team play as a child, said the Fightins are stitched into the fabric of the community.
“Generations of families have made it a tradition to visit this historic ballpark and root for their home team,” the Reading Democrat said. “The passion this city has for their Reading Phillies creates an atmosphere within the ballpark’s friendly confines that is second to none. I am thrilled that families will have the opportunity to continue forging the legacy of the Phils for generations to come.”
State Sen. Dave Argall, a Schuylkill County Republican who represents part of Berks, said he was happy to lend his voice to the effort.
“The Fightin Phils have been a source of Berks County pride for decades,” he said in a statement. “This highly competitive funding will ensure they continue to be a great example of community jobs and economic revitalization in Berks and Schuylkill counties and throughout this region for decades to come.”