WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — It’s been more than 15 years since Chain of Lakes Park hosted spring training baseball in Winter Haven.
What You Need To Know
- The Cleveland Guardians last played at Chain of Lakes Park in 2008
- The demolition will take around six weeks
- This is a $20 million project
On Monday, the demolition of the field will begin, paving the way for four new fields for amateur and college-level players.
Winter Haven city manager T. Michael Stavres said once the project is finished, the area will look completely different.
“You’ve got four fields that will kind of come through here and make their way up towards where you see the backside of Chick-Fil-A,” he said.
Michael said the upcoming demolition is bittersweet. He remembers going to spring training games and attending concerts.
However, after remaining vacant for so many years, he said the new fields will pave the way for baseball’s next generation.
“The love for baseball will never go away and that’s what makes it really nice is that… you may not have Major League Baseball coming back into this facility or into Winter Haven proper but you may have the next Major League Baseball players coming out of this facility,” he said.
The fields are set to be finished in February, but that’s not all that’s coming.
There are plans to add a playground, a boardwalk by the water, and a multi-purpose field.
This is a $20 million project.
Matt Lackritz
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