LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers and the city of Lakeland broke ground Wednesday on a new player development academy.
The $33 million residential and training facility will serve as a year-round hub for Tigers minor-league and developmental players.
The building will feature:
- 76 sleeping rooms to house players
- A 200-seat dining hall with world-class kitchen facilities
- A spacious player lounge and recreation area
- A flexible, multipurpose meeting room accommodating up to 200 people
- Administrative office space
The four-story, 59,000-square-foot facility is part of a joint investment between the Tigers and city, which Lakeland leaders say is worth every penny.
“Having the Tigers here now for coming up on 90 seasons presently brings in about $55 million of economic development every year to this community,” City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said. “The relationship that the city of Lakeland has with the Tigers is critical to the needs of our community. So that is part of why we spend the millions that we spend.”
Tigers Assistant General Manager Ryan Garko said he is grateful for the longstanding partnership, adding that the facility will significantly improve the player experience.
“It is a quality-of-life upgrade for our players,” Garko said. “I think we’ve all seen that if we can give them better food and state-of-the-art facilities to work and train in, I think it will help them become better players, better people, better men.”
Construction of the Detroit Tigers Player Development Academy is expected to be complete by February 2027.
Alexis Jones
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