Edward A. LeLacheur Park is a baseball park located on the banks of the Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is home to the UMass Lowell River Hawks baseball team, which competes in the America East Conference at the NCAA Division I level. It was home to the Lowell Spinners, previously the New York–Penn League Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
 LeLacheur Park | |
 | |
| Location | 450 Aiken Street Lowell, Massachusetts 01854 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42.65327°N 71.318114°W |
| Owner | University of Massachusetts Lowell |
| Operator | UMass Lowell River Hawks baseball |
| Capacity | 4,797 seated (5,030 with standing room)[1] |
| Field size | Left Field: 337 feet (103 m) Left-Center Field: 368 feet (112 m) Center Field: 400 feet (120 m) Right-Center Field: 368 feet (112 m) Right Field: 301 feet (92 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1996 |
| Opened | June 22, 1998 |
| Construction cost | $11.2 million ($20.9 million in 2023 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Populous |
| General contractor | Peabody Construction Co., Inc.[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Lowell Spinners (NYPL) (1998–2020) UMass Lowell River Hawks (NCAA Division I America East) (1998–present) | |
History
The park was built between a partnership with the city of Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The park was named for State Representative Edward A. LeLacheur, who led the initial redevelopment of Lowell, and opened in 1998.[4][5] The park was built on the East Campus of UMass Lowell. Populous (formerly HOK Sport) designed the park. It offers views of the Aiken Street Bridge, Lawrence Mills, Fox Hall, and University Suites. The seating bowl is raised above the field. A concourse surrounds the top of the park where the refreshment, merchandise stands, and bathrooms are located. The design enables an open view while waiting in line.
Two seating expansions have been considered since the park opened. One plan would have added 600-1,000 seats on the third base side. The expansion would match how the first base side is angled towards the infield. The other proposal was to add a smaller version of the Green Monster with seating for approximately 200 people. This also would have shortened the field and raised the wall to 20 ft (6.1 m). Due to lack of funds, neither have been built.[6]
The stadium also features the Giant Hood Milk Jug from Fenway Park and all Red Sox retired numbers.
The ballpark held its first concert on July 10, 2008, when Boston-based Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys played there with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.[7]
The Lowell City Council voted on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, to sell Lelacheur Park to UMass Lowell for $1 million. UMass Lowell plans to invest $3 million to maintaining and renovating the park over 5 years.[8]
See also
References
External links
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