Upgrades to Wintrust Field planned ahead of Schaumburg Boomers’ 2024 season
More off-season upgrades than usual are planned for the Schaumburg Boomers’ Wintrust Field over the next few months before the late April arrival of ballplayers for spring training.
The work includes an updated and improved version of the Schaumburg Club on the suite level, which will feature new food service areas, a video system for meetings or other non-baseball events, and a Sunday brunch on all Sunday day games.
A new Kids Zone presented by Amazon Fresh beyond the left field wall will include seven inflatables: a 40-foot obstacle course, giant slide, Skee-Ball, bounce house, T-ball, giant couch and speed pitch.
All 16 luxury suites will be remodeled and include a video system tying into the stadium’s video board, stream and cable package.
They follow last year’s addition of a new audio system and video board, and are a combination of capital projects initiated by the village of Schaumburg, which owns the ballpark, and fan-oriented enhancements funded by the Boomers.
Between last year and this, the Boomers are investing about $1.5 million that isn’t required by its lease agreement, said Michael Larson, executive vice president and general manager of the organization.
“We are constantly looking to improve the fan experience at the ballpark on all levels,” he added. “We take great pride in what we bring for baseball fans in Chicagoland and can’t wait for fans to come see everything new this summer.”
The Jim Beam Club on the suite level behind home plate also will be seeing changes, including audiovisual enhancements, the team’s four Frontier League Championship trophies, and a dessert bar with cakes, sundaes, cold brew coffee, espresso and other treats.
The left field party deck will be overhauled with new seating, food service, and a canopy for shade during day games. It will be available for company outings throughout the summer.
Four new concourse-level platforms are being put in with outdoor suites in the center and additional concourse space and drink rails to the sides of them.
Other projects include updating the concession stands, remodeling both the home and away team clubhouses, a new retaining wall in right field, and paved picnic areas.
The Boomers have experienced attendance increases each year since 2018, Larson said. Last year saw the four largest game crowds in team history, the highest overall attendance in its history, and had the third highest attendance in all of the four MLB Partner Leagues.
Larson said that over the course of his five seasons with the team, the Boomers’ revenue has grown to 250% of what it earned before.
Among the goals of the new upgrades is making sure the fan experience keeps up with the larger crowds, he added. Some of the projects represent rethinks of planned improvements delayed by the pandemic.
“Coming off of the record-setting 2023 season, we felt the need more than ever to continue investing in the first-class experience we strive to provide at Wintrust Field,” Boomers owner Patrick A. Salvi said in a statement. “In partnership with the village of Schaumburg, there is no part of Wintrust Field that isn’t being invested in ahead of 2024 Opening Day.”
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly also expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership in a statement.
“We’re excited to see everything in action in the new year,” he said. “The village is pleased to be working in tandem with the Boomers organization to add to the fans’ experience when they come to see games at Wintrust Field.”
Group and season ticket packages are on sale for the 2024 season, and single-game tickets become available at 10 a.m. Thursday.