Camelback Ranch – Glendale Rated Among Best

Carrie Watters, Arizona Republic

Glendale’s spring training ballpark received the Editor’s Choice award at ballparkdigest.com, an Internet site about the culture and business of baseball.

“Camelback Ranch-Glendale is a bold reimagining of the spring training complex, bringing in the feel of a classic training camp with all the amenities of today,” the publication said.

BALLPARK DIGEST AWARDS

For the third year, Ballpark Digest handed out honors for noteworthy accomplishments in the baseball world.

Readers and teams submitted nominations for the awards and editors selected winners.

Ballparkdigest.com launched in 2002 and reports an average of 4,000 daily readers.

GLENDALE’S WINNING ATTRIBUTES

The spring home of the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers was cited for its state-of-the-art advancement of spring training complexes.

“In a design that turns spring training design on its head, fans park on the opposite side of the complex from the ballpark,” the story reads.

The editors praised the layout, which has fans meander along paths near a lake and past practice fields before getting to “one of the nicest ballparks in spring training.”

Dallas-based HKS designed the facility, which appears to “rise from the flat Valley floor.”

Buildings feature sloped roof lines to mimic mountains on the horizon.

The facility also meets the training needs of the Dodgers’ and White Sox’ major and minor league squads with clubhouses that feature weight rooms, aquatic treadmills and video throughout the complex, allowing coaches to give instant feedback to players and pitchers.

CITY AND TEAM REACTION

• “We strive to create the ultimate fan experience in our sports and entertainment district, and the addition of Camelback Ranch-Glendale to our lineup of state-of-the-art sporting facilities has allowed us to reach our goal of becoming one of the premier professional sports destinations in the nation,” City Manager Ed Beasley said in a released statement.

• “For Dodger fans who have always wanted to take part in the spring training experience, last season was eye-opening and the positive feedback we’ve received validated the vision that was carried out in building the best spring training campus in all of baseball,” said Dodger President Dennis Mannion.

• “The goal of the White Sox, Dodgers and city of Glendale in designing and creating the facility was to marry the demands of preparing for a championship major-league baseball season with providing fans a first-class, intimate view of their heroes. Feedback from our fans and recognition such as this from Ballpark Digest are rewards for all of the hard work by everyone involved in making Camelback Ranch-Glendale a reality,” said Terry Savarise, senior vice president of stadium operations for the White Sox.

• “The design for Camelback Ranch is about creating transparency at several levels: as you drive to the site, as you walk through the training complex, as you approach either of the two stadium entries and as you enjoy a game, you are immersed in baseball, unlike any other spring training site,” said Mo Stein, principal In charge for HKS Architects. COST

Camelback Ranch-Glendale cost $158 million for the ballpark and nearby infrastructure. Glendale continues to negotiate its portion of the cost.

City staffers expect it to be less than $115 million for the facility, plus $37 million for the infrastructure.

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority should eventually chip in nearly $60 million.