Brewers reveal plans for Maryvale spring training facility upgrades

The Brewers’ spring training facility in Maryvale will soon be undergoing some much-needed upgrades, and today we’re getting the first look at the plans.

The Brewers released a set of renderings for the renovation project, which was approved by the Phoenix City Council back in November. As part of the deal, the Brewers will be paying between $56 million and $60 million of the construction costs, and will pay for all operation and maintenance costs for the facility after this year. The City of Phoenix will contribute a total of $10 million -- $2 million per year over the next 5 years -- and the Arizona Sports Authority will pitch in about $5.7 million.

Among the upgrades will be a new clubhouse building, concessions and restroom areas, and retail and ticketing areas. They’ll all be housed within the same two-story building. There will also be a new entry plaza, scoreboard and parking lots for fans. The players will be getting a renovated major league clubhouse, new major league batting tunnels, a new agility field, and new covered practice mounds.

Here are the renderings provided by the architecture firm designing the project:

Milwaukee Brewers/HKS

Milwaukee Brewers/HKS

Milwaukee Brewers/HKS

Milwaukee Brewers/HKS

Milwaukee Brewers/HKS

Owner Mark Attanasio is excited about the project. In a video on MLB.com, he explains how the project came to be — including a brief flirtation with moving their facilities to Florida — but ultimately Attanasio says he couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to get the improvements underway because he sees player development as an important piece of the team’s success.

The facility will also be more than just a set of baseball diamonds, according to the team’s release:

The Brewers will partner with Grand Canyon University on a “Learning Lounge” at Maryvale Baseball Park, through which local students will have access to free tutoring. In addition, the Brewers have relocated a front office position to Maryvale to implement and manage Club-funded events with community schools and local community groups. Besides Spring Training baseball, community activities will continue at the facility throughout the year, including the city’s annual Independence Day celebration.

Shovels will hit the dirt in late March, and the project is expected to be mostly completed by the time the 2019 Brewers report to Spring Training.

The renovations mean the Brewers will continue to train in Maryvale through 2042.