Super suite at Coors

Nine luxury boxes give way to spacious center Rockies can rent

By James Paton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 6, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size

Photo by Linda McConnell / Special to the Rocky

Derek Stratford with Ventura Electric, center, walks through the "super suite" under construction at Coors Field. The Rockies have upgraded the ballpark every few years.

Photo by Linda McConnell / Special to the Rocky

Zane Dopler of Mortensen Construction rolls up electrical cord Tuesday outside the Coors Field "super suite," created from nine boxes on the first base line.

More More Business

More stories »

Now it's construction rather than cheering crowds raising the decibel levels at Coors Field.

The Colorado Rockies are tearing up nine luxury boxes overlooking the field on the first base side to build a "super suite" that companies and other groups can reserve for special events.

Tenants such as Coors, KUSA and Aramark, which occupied the prime real estate in the past, are being relocated to other spots. The team met with those businesses to explain the project and to get them on board, said Greg Feasel, Rockies senior vice president of business operations.

"Larger is better," said Feasel, noting that Invesco Field at Mile High and the Pepsi Center have spacious areas they can rent. "We've had a lot of requests we haven't been able to handle."

But the club devised the plans before the Rockies' dramatic late-season surge into the World Series, and some of the suite holders probably wish they could get their old vantage points back.

Stadiums across the country have made similar moves to try to cater to the corporate customer and to reduce the number of empty boxes.

While the Rockies struggled to keep fans and corporations interested after a string of losing seasons, the success last year suddenly has made selling tickets, sponsorship packages, merchandise and suites much easier.

The organization would not divulge the cost of the renovation, which is expected to be finished by mid-March. Ray Baker, chairman of the Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District, said taxpayer dollars are not being used to finance the upgrade and the club is picking up the entire tab.

"The good part is taxpayers see a great asset being improved without their dollars," said Baker, whose group administers Coors Field and approved the suite plan several months ago.

RocHenge, a Denver-based design and installation company, has the naming rights to the facility, and HOK, the architect behind Coors Field and many other stadiums, is designing the facility.

Dave Bruni, CEO of the RocHenge parent company, which is doing granite and tile work for the super suite, said "this will help us develop our brand. It's the target market we want to reach."

The expense to groups renting the space for games will be $110 to $140 a person, including food but not beverages. The mega-suite can be divided into three units, each of which can accommodate up to 65 people. Opening Day, at $175 a pop, is sold out.

That would translate into a bill ranging from $20,000 to $30,000.

The price to rent the new Coors Field conference center on other days will fluctuate based on what groups want to eat, drink and do with the space - and when.

The Rockies have a restaurant dubbed the Mountain Ranch Club, but it hasn't been big enough to satisfy demand, Feasel said.

The Rockies have upgraded the ballpark every few years with a new project such as the Coors Clubhouse behind home plate and new electronic scoreboards. "We always look at how we can stay current," he said.

Baker, the stadium district chairman, said the groups that used to sit in the suites being gutted understand the Rockies' latest move to enhance the park.

Before the construction, the Rockies had 51 corporate suites, some of which were used on a single-game or partial-season basis. The team has booked all of the seasonlong suites.

On a recent afternoon in late January, Feasel, wearing a white hard hat, stood in front of a glass wall, gazing out at the outfield blanketed in snow. Exposed wire and metal dangled from the ceiling. Plastic sheets hung where walls once stood. Dust covered the concrete floors.

In the coming weeks, the space will undergo a significant transformation. When the 2008 season begins, companies will be able to slide back glass walls to get closer to the action on the field.

"The intent is to create an open atmosphere," Feasel said. "Even at the back of the space you'll be able to hear the crack of the bat and feel the breeze."

patonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2544

Also new at Coors Field . . . * After a World Series appearance, season ticket sales are up about 20 percent this year.

* The average season ticket price is up about 15 percent.

* The Rockies plan to introduce "loaded" tickets that will have credit toward beer, soda, hot dogs, T-shirts and other ballpark fare built into the bar codes.

Ballpark conference center

* Name: The RocHenge Conference Center at Coors Field

* Where: Replaces nine corporate suites along the first base side

* Cost to reserve: Cost to rent the suite can run as much as $30,000. It can be rented for special events at other times and prices.

* How many people it can accommodate: About 200

* Architect: HOK Sport

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News