01/10/2019 – Reno, NV:  Washoe Field will undergo a seat expansion this off-season.  Just three short seasons after the big name change and renovation process of 2016, the Reno owner has decided to put a little more money into the ballpark that the Zephyrs call home.

The current renovation plan calls for adding 5000 seats to the park by re-arranging both dugouts as well as adding a mid-level deck to the right-field porch area.  The front office announced that the changes will not impact the field of play in any way.  The organization is quite proud of Washoe Field and regularly boasts that the park is the gem of the PEBA.

The new seats will increase the total capacity from 35,000 to 40,000.  The Zephyrs have seen a steady and impressive increase in attendance over the last several seasons.  In 2012 Reno drew just 1.1 million fans to the park – contrast that with last season’s 3 million fans (a franchise record) and you start to see why the time appears to be right for a seat expansion project.

At 21 inches wide the new seats will be a little wider than the regular seat in Washoe Field and will include a small amount of padding for added comfort.  The improved design is expected to make the new seats a hotter item than the other seats in the park.

All-in-all the seating additions should bring in increased revenue as long as the Zephyrs can continue their recent winning ways.  With the recent sell out crowns that have been flocking to the park, you can certainly understand why the front office is optimistic with regards to the impact that the additional seats will have on the ball club bottom line.  As always, only time will tell if these changes will be for the betterment of the team.