Breese Stevens Field is being targeted for an improvement, as Madison, WI officials are considering a new building that would be added to the venue.
The proposal from the city’s parks department calls for the construction of a new 3,750-square-foot building to house concession space and restrooms as part of a $1.1 million project. If constructed, the structure would provide a permanent kitchen and be located next to a grandstand on the west end of the venue.
Back in 2015, Big Top Baseball–the owner of several summer collegiate league baseball teams, including the Madison Mallards (Northwoods League)–was brought in by the city to operate the historic Bresse Stevens Field. Among the uses that the venue receives now include amateur soccer, as well as larger events like concerts.
In discussing the proposed building, Big Top president Vern Stenman noted the advantages that would come with having a new permanent kitchen. More from the Wisconsin State Journal:
“There’s absolutely not a space in Breese that can be licensed as a permanent kitchen,” he said. “We have been operating with temporary licenses. It’s been OK, but it’s not something that will work over time.”
The new building would allow Big Top to offer a wider range of foods and provide more flexibility to tailor offerings to events, Stenman said.
The building would also significantly increase permanent restrooms, although some temporary restrooms would still be needed for bigger events until additional permanent ones are built in the future, he said.
“We’re competing with other municipalities to bring in events,” Stenman said. “A facility like this will give us a little bit of an advantage.”
The building would be included in a project that would also lead to facade repairs and additional gutters. For this effort to move forward, it will have to be approved by the Landmarks Commission as well as the Urban Design Commission. Should the project move forward, the facade repairs would begin next summer, while additional construction would take place over the 2018-19 event offseason.
Image courtesy Breese Stevens Field.