How the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are upgrading 121 Financial Ballpark

[Kevin Barral]

Tens of millions of dollars are being spent to renovate the Jumbo Shrimp's home ballpark, highlighted by several major projects.

On Wednesday, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins Triple-A affiliate) announced that 121 Financial Ballpark will be undergoing major renovations. The team has secured $31.8M in public funding from the City of Jacksonville to further improve the fan experience and player amenities.

The work has already begun. The home and visiting clubhouses were renovated prior to the 2023 season along with the addition of a female locker room. Entering 2024, the scoreboard has been made 20% larger with better resolution, and new ribbon boards have been installed. Next up, the Jumbo Shrimp are constructing a home plate club, a "front porch" in center field and a multilevel building to make their team store accessible on the street level.

This project is a collaboration between the team, the city and ASM Global, a company which focuses specifically on renovating ballparks.

"This is such a vital time for the ballpark," said Jumbo Shrimp owner Ken Babby. "All of your support it truly appreciated. It's been an incredible journey...Our work is just beginning...Ultimately we knew, if we invested into Jacksonville, the community would respond and that our vision would be realized by working so hard to create a path here for baseball in Jacksonville."

The Miami Marlins were involved when it came to the clubhouses and making overall conditions for their players better.

"They're thrilled with the results of the work," Babby added.

The right field building will feature "special field-view access, amenities, climate-controlled spaces and views that are unmatched of the sports complex" where the Jacksonville Jaguars play. Babby notes that construction will not interfere with the 2024 season, but as we get deeper into the season, the building will come to life.

The building will also feature a street-level team store, something that Babby mentioned the fans have wanted since the inception of the team.

Just like we are used to seeing in MLB stadiums, the Jumbo Shrimp are adding an "enhanced club space" behind home plate. It's coincidentally sponsored by PNC, who also sponsors the PNC Club at loanDepot park. This will not only be used in season, but also throughout the year. This was previously where the Jumbo Shrimp administrative office used to be, but that will now go over to the right field building once all of that is complete.

"This true new premium experience space will be a unique place for board meetings, meetings, receptions and other events throughout the city," said Babby. "It'll be a year-round space that we are so excited to show off and could be activated even before concerts and other sporting events etc. with great street level access here at the sports complex."

The final major project is the center field "front porch," which received its name from general manager and executive vice president Harold Craw. He envisions it being a popular gathering space both before and during games.

The Jumbo Shrimp's 2024 home opener is coming up on March 29, exactly one month away.

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