What’s new this season? South Bend Cubs unveil major improvements to ballpark
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- ABC57’s Jordan Tolbert did a walkthrough with South Bend Cubs President Joe Hart to see what’s new at the ballpark, which saw $48 million in renovations.
“This is something that we actually started back in 2021, so it's been something that's five years in progress. And really, the actual construction started at the end of the 2024 season. So, we've been in the middle of a 16-month continuous construction zone, so ready for it to be done, but extremely excited to show it off to the community,” said Hart.
One of the biggest things fans will notice is a brand-new second level, with 12 indoor suites and two outdoor spaces.
“Before we started the construction, it was just a peaked roof. There was nothing. This was just open-air space. So last year, they got the steel installed. They've been pouring concrete. And now, once the season ended, after 2025, they instantly went to work on renovating the Pepsi Stadium Club,” said Hart.
The suites used to be on the main level. Now, there’s more room for people to walk through the concourse.
“Our largest crowd we ever had was about 8100 this year. With the new renovations, we'll be able to get to about 10,500. So, it gives you this ability to spread people out a little bit more, but also, on some of those days, it gives us the opportunity to let more people in that want to come out and see the game,” said Hart.
Over the course of the year, Hart says the stadium attracts about 400,000 people to downtown South Bend. That’s between baseball games, concerts and other events. They are trying to use the ballpark for more than baseball.
One change you’ll notice before you even enter the stadium.
“This is a new entry point. It's going to be the third base gate, and, you know, it's over here off of parking lot B, so this will be one of the new areas that we want people to be able to utilize and come into the ballpark,” said Hart. “The box office that has always been behind home plate will not be operational anymore. It'll be this new one here off of the event space building on the third base side. So, you'll have that box office, but then you also have the center field box office, because most of the parking now is coming really from facing downtown.”
There’s also a new 20-thousand square foot, four-story building. It won’t be open until May, according to Hart, so the box office area is what fans will be able to use now.
Safety is also an important piece of the final game plan, with foul ball netting extending all the way down the foul lines.
“If you're sitting in the Bud Garden, or if you're over in the grass berm area, you know you don't have to, you don't have to be as watchful, because those fast line drive foul balls are going in, will hit the netting and stop,” said Hart.
Plus, there are new restrooms on the second level and throughout the park. There are also family restrooms now.
Hart says they tried to create a ‘Wrigleyville feel,” with everything from exposed steel beams to the ivy lining the walls.
“I know it's very green. You know, if you go to Wrigley Field at this time of year, you're not going to see green ivy. Ours is fake, so it'll always be green,” said Hart.
He says everything is about the experience.
“Yes, I'm a die-hard baseball guy, and we got the game going on in the background, but we find so many people just come out here, just because they want to have a good time. So, for us, it was trying to create those new elevated areas, and to do that that was part of the second deck,” said Hart.
So, the next time you visit Four Winds Field, know that what you see today was years in the making, with fan feedback as the driving force.