Hundreds of cities with minor league baseball teams have launched stadium construction projects or have plans to launch them soon, spurred by Major League Baseball’s mandate to upgrade or replace all stadiums where all its minor league affiliates play.

“The renovation project is extremely important for the Curve to survive in the new landscape that is minor league baseball,” said Chief Operating Officer David Lozinak, son of Curve majority owners Bob and Joan Lozinak. “Once the project is completed, it should assure that the ballpark meets all the standards for the new PDL agreement that came about when MLB took over the operation of the minor leagues a few years ago.”

“It ultimately means we are in compliance with Major League Baseball and will keep affiliated baseball in Altoona for years to come,” said General Manager Nate Bowen.

The work being done now will not be visible to fans as the project includes a new women’s locker room, a new visiting coaches locker room, a new weight room, a video room for the home team, meeting rooms for both the home and visiting teams, a kitchen area for both locker rooms and enlarged training rooms for both the home and visiting teams.

Plumbers from K & K Plumbing work on the construction of the new weight room at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The project began Nov. 17 and will be finished by March 24, in time for the April 6 season opener. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

The project also includes HVAC, plumbing, sprinkler and electrical construction in these areas.

In addition, plans call for the installation of a second elevator inside of the stadium. All stadium seats will be replaced, too, but that part of the project won’t be finished until the start of the 2024 season, Bowen said.

The project is being financed in part by a $2.4 million Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant and Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant.

State Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, and state Rep. Lou Schmitt, R-Altoona, announced the RACP grant in October.

“In recent meetings with Blair County leaders and Altoona Curve management, it became apparent that new MLB requirements were forcing stadium upgrades that posed a major challenge for the county and the team,” Ward said. “As the Altoona Curve prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary season here, I am thrilled about this state investment that will help maintain and upgrade our magnificent ballpark and keep minor league baseball in our area for years to come.”

The project began Nov. 17 and will be finished by March 24, in time for the April 6 season opener.

Ballpark history

The history of Peoples Natural Gas Field, formerly known as Blair County Ballpark, goes back nearly three decades.

A group led by Altoona native Bob Lozinak, developer Tate DeWeese, businessman Mark Thomas and a group of Pennsylvania lawmakers were able to secure an Eastern League franchise on Oct. 5, 1997.

Groundbreaking for the Blair County Ballpark took place on March 7, 1998, and the franchise was formally awarded in April.

Masons work on the walls of the new visitors locker room at Peoples Natural Gas Field ahead of the Altoona Curve’s 25th season. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Thomas said it was not easy making the Curve a reality.

“There were certainly a lot of interesting twists and turns during that time. It was a bit of a chicken and egg situation where we needed a new stadium to land the franchise, but we needed a franchise to justify the stadium,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the group was originally approved by Minor League Baseball and the South Atlantic League to move the Hagerstown Suns, which was the Orioles’ Single A affiliate, to Altoona. But simultaneously, an expansion Double A franchise that had been awarded to Springfield, Mass., was put in play by political haggling that delayed its new stadium.

“We applied to be considered, but unfortunately Pennsylvania politics had bundled stadium and convention center public financing with the desire to sell the state liquor stores,” Thomas said.

“We had almost exhausted the time to put our deal together, when Gov. Tom Ridge finally pulled both Blair County Ballpark and the Blair County Convention Center from the liquor store package at the persistent urging of Sen. Bob Jubelirer and Congressman Bud Shuster. The support of Commissioners (John) Eichelberger and (Donna) Gorrity was very helpful as well,” Thomas said.

The construction of the stadium was a Blair County project.

“Tate DeWeese came to see me one day with the idea of building a ballpark there (Lakemont),” Eichelberger said. “We worked to get it done on county property. Tate said I could build at that location. I couldn’t imagine that stadium being built here, but I am not a developer. He said it could go there,” Eichelberger recalled. “We started to work on it, and we needed money, the state came through with most of the money.”

Eichelberger said he visited other minor league parks to get ideas for the stadium.

“We used the same architect the Pirates used. I flew with Mark Thomas to Erie. At Jerry Uht Park, they had a concourse where you could get your food and still see the game. We incorporated that into our design,” Eichelberger said.

“If not for the county, it would not have been able to happen,” Gority recalled.

Curve, stadium add to county attractions

“We talk all the time about the attractions that make Blair County a special place for people to visit,” said President and CEO Joe Hurd of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce. “We sometimes forget to pay closer attention to what those attractions mean to the people who live here.”

Hurd said beyond the revenue generation that helps impact the local economy, the Curve is an influence on residents’ quality of life.

“It represents our county and our region in a way that makes us proud,” he said. “People know us. We’re a factor in the high profile world of big time baseball.”

The Curve game experience adds variety “to the classic authentic fun which is Blair County’s brand determination in travel marketing,” said Executive Director Mark Ickes of Explore Altoona. “For visitors, the thrill of minor league baseball games provides an excellent addition to amusement parks, railroad history and heritage, performing and visual arts, as well as stellar outdoor recreation.”

People made the difference

Bowen said people — those who work for the team as well as area residents — are the biggest reason The Curve has found success here.

“We have the smallest area that has a Double A team,” Bowen said.

Lozinak agrees people are the key.

“Our biggest key to success has been making this more than Altoona’s team because we rely so heavily on all of our surrounding communities to help make us successful,” he said. “We continue to try to make this a family-friendly environment for all of our fans.”

“Reaching the 25th season of baseball in Altoona just reinforces the vision that my parents had when they originally wanted to bring baseball to the town in the mid- to late ’70s,” Lozinak said.

“There was skepticism that baseball could work in a town the size of Altoona, but through a lot of hard work from countless people throughout the years, we’ve been able to make it a success not only for Altoona, but for all of the central PA area.”

While the ballpark is amazing, Lozinak said the fans and workers “make it a gem.”

25th season celebration

The Curve Charities Roaring Twenties Gala will kick off the 25th anniversary celebration. The fundraising gala will be held on Feb. 4 at the Jaffa Shrine and will feature a special appearance from Curve alumni and former Pittsburgh Pirate Neil Walker as well as live music from local party rock band, Shallow 9. There will also be a silent auction featuring sports memorabilia and several Curve-related items.

A number of other special events are planned throughout the season.

“We will be doing events centered around former players. Neil Walker will be the first of several former players from the past 25 years. There will be some 25th season giveaways and there is a new logo,” Bowen said.

The new logo, designed by creative services assistant Reid Pohland, features a silver and red design representing the team’s Silver Season and the team’s signature red theme showing the organization’s driving passion for winning and success on and off the field. The ribbons on the logo display numbers from the team’s previous and current uniform designs above an outline of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania that features many of the popular elements of baseball in Curve, Pa., with an outline of PNG Field and the rolling mountains that surround the area.

When the 25th season wraps up, Lozinak is looking forward to the Curve’s continued success.

“I don’t see any reason that the Curve can’t continue to succeed here, as long as people put in the hard work that is required to make this an attraction for people from all around,” he said.

“Since I’ve been to so many ballparks around the country, I still consider this to be one of the top stadiums in all of minor league baseball, and the ballpark is a destination for baseball aficionados, and it will continue to be,” Lozinak said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.