Shrine on Airline begins $28.5M renovation
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For years, Friday baseball games were capped by fireworks over what was then called Zephyr Field. Photo: Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Shrine on Airline is about to get a nearly $30 million glow-up as local and state officials launch a yearlong renovation for the Jefferson Parish facility Wednesday.
Why it matters: Local leaders hope the investment is enough to entice a new tenant for the stadium, which sits on about 38 acres off Airline Highway.
Catch up quick: The property has been without a major tenant since the NOLA Gold rugby team hung up its cleats last August, leaving behind an economic and entertainment gap in Jefferson Parish.
- The facility, first built in 1997, currently has 10,000 fixed seats and 750,000 square feet of parking.
- For most of its tenure, it served as home field for the New Orleans Zephyrs, a AAA baseball team later known as the Babycakes.
Zoom in: "Upon its scheduled completion in June 2027, leadership expects the facility to be a more attractive option for a full-time tenant and a significant asset to the region," a press release says.
- The project will convert the stadium into a multi-use venue for high school football, soccer, rugby, concerts and other events, Jefferson Parish Councilman Deano Bonano tells Axios New Orleans.
- The renovation will flip the baseball field orientation for rectangular gameplay, such as you see in rugby, soccer and football, Bonano says, and add a permanent stage for concerts.
Follow the money: The $28.5 million project is primarily funded by $15 million in federal pandemic relief funds, Bonano says.
- His district also put up $1 million, and the balance is being paid by state capital outlay funds, he says.
What's next: The current renovation "is just Phase 1," Bonano says. "We're already starting the process to look at what's in scope of Phase 2."