Baseball in Northwest Arkansas is a Natural

A lot has happened since I last wrote about the baseball stadium Springdale voters approved July 11, 2006. The AA team currently known as the Wichita (Kansas) Wranglers is definitely moving to Springdale to start the season in April 2008.

When it arrives, the AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals will be known as The Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The new name is a reflection of Arkansas’s state motto, “The Natural State” and it also calls attention to the natural beauty of NW Arkansas.

A stunning logo has been designed and approved. It features a mountain range with a cascading waterfall, a whizzing baseball, and an “ N” with a lightning bolt for its diagonal leg. The colors are cardinal red and Royals blue. NW Arkansas has more than 100 naturally occurring waterfalls so the logo continues the theme of The Naturals.

Earthmovers have been very busy at the site, as has the City of Springdale. Plans, negotiations, bidding, budgeting, and changes have kept the city leaders busy. But things are now falling into place.

Bids to construct the stadium itself came in $4.7 million to $13.3 million over budget. Luckily, bids for other necessities such as site preparation, parking lot, and road improvements were all at or under estimate.

The team owner, Rich Baseball Operations, pledged $1.4 million to help meet the shortfall and a few cuts were made from original plans; specifically two party decks, five sky-box suites, and 250 seats. Even after the cuts, the stadium will have 6,250 chair-back seats and 25 boxes. The sky boxes have all been sold and more can be built in the future.

It’s an exciting time for Springdale. I’m sure the stadium will give the city much to be proud of and by broadening the name of the team to The Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the entire area will feel connected to “its” team.

Let’s play ball!

For more information:

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/06/09/news/060907szstadcontract.txt
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/191677/
http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/53565
http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/51127