ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 8, 1996 TAG: 9604080061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
CITY CREWS AND CONTRACTORS have worked to complete stairwell towers and concession stands that were not ready for the grand opening of the $10.1 million stadium last August.
When Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium opens tonight for the Avalanche's first home game of the season, fans may find some distractions from the baseball diamond.
If they don't like the seats, they can check out the new hot tub behind first base. If the hot dogs and pizza don't fill them up, they can rent the new picnic area behind the left-field bullpen - complete with a catered meal.
And fans determined to show they can out-throw the starting pitcher can prove it in a pitching cage that clocks throwing speed with a radar gun.
City crews and contractors have worked to complete several features, such as stairwell towers and additional concession stands, that were not ready for the grand opening of the estimated $10.1 million, 6,000-seat stadium last August.
And Avalanche staff used the few games that were played in the stadium last season to work out the snags, particularly for concessions, said Dave Oster, the team's general manager.
After the first games, some fans complained about slow food service, which Oster said should be better this season because there are more concession stands and employees have last season's experience behind them.
"That first month was just a good learning experience," he said.
Another addition fans can see tonight is a video screen on the scoreboard.
Although Avalanche staff were still putting on the final touches last week, they weren't nearly as rushed as the days before last summer's stadium opener, which had been postponed almost four months.
Technicians on Friday recorded video images for the scoreboard video screen. Construction crews added railing near the hot tub.
Still to come at the baseball complex are a monument honoring local war veterans and an office building for Avalanche staff.
The $39,000 granite monument is being constructed in Georgia and will be unveiled Memorial Day. Construction of the $250,000 office building hasn't begun.
Winter delayed groundbreaking for the office, said Forest Jones, assistant city manager, but construction is expected to begin in about two weeks.
Once the building is complete, it will include a souvenir shop.
Cost of the monument and office building had been budgeted within the overall $10.1 million cost of the stadium, Jones said.
Promotional items such as the hot tub and pitching cage are being funded by the baseball club or advertising clients.
Waterworks of Roanoke Inc. provided the hot tub and will give it away at the end of the season through a raffle or drawing, Oster said.
Fans can rent the tub for an entire game for $10 per person up to eight people. And when their skin prunes, they can move to nearby seats reserved for tubbers.
WROV's Sam Giles and Mark Nelson have first dibs on the hot tub, said Deron Marchant, director of group sales for the Avalanche. The two afternoon radio personalities will be accompanied by the Budweiser Girls at tonight's opener.
Marchant said the club is hoping to have other media personalities in the hot tub throughout the week to promote it. But with tonight's forecast calling for lows in the low to mid-30s, Oster joked that those reserved seats may not get much use.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL/Staff. 1. A $10 per person hot tub (above)by CNBlooking down the first base line is new for the '96 season at Salem
Memorial Baseball Stadium. 2. Sound man Jon Capps (left) works with
the new video projection unit that will display head shots of
players on a large screen at the top of the scoreboard as they come
to bat. color.