PNC Field in Moosic is set to undergo a $13.5 million renovation project after the RailRiders’ season ends in September.
Times Leader file photo
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
PNC Field, home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, will be getting a facelift ahead of the 2025 season.
It was announced Tuesday that a $13.5 million renovation project would commence at the end of this season to help bring PNC Field up to the standards set by the MLB’s Professional Development League (PDL) model.
The announcement was made in a release issued jointly by Lackawanna County commissioners Bill Gaughan and Matt McGloin along with the Lackawanna County Multi-Purpose Stadium Authority, the entity that owns the stadium.
Also joining them in this announcement were Diamond Baseball Holdings, the owner of the RailRiders, and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
“The renovation of PNC Field and its facilities deepens the roots we have in Lackawanna County and reflects the standard of excellence that we strive for,” Cashman said. “The community has offered outstanding support to us over the years and knowing that we can further the development of our players in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is a tremendous outcome for everyone involved.”
Opened in 1989 and reconstructed in 2012, PNC Field currently falls short of PDL compliance, according to the release. PDL compliance requires clubs to offer modernized facilities suited to professional athletes, and improved amenities and working conditions for players and staff, among others.
Project funding will go toward essential improvements, including security, female staff facilities, training and locker rooms, laundry facilities, batting tunnels, bullpens, high-speed internet, field drainage and lighting.
Also part of the project are improvements to the fan experience, including video boards, hospitality areas, seating upgrades and more according to the release.
Funding for the project will come from an $8.5 million loan (in the form of a bond issue) from PNC Bank, with $1.5 million of that remaining in a reserve fund. The remaining $6.5 million is expected to come from a grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program.
Stadium Authority solicitor Frank Tunis said in the release that the project is scheduled to begin on Sept. 15, the day of the RailRiders’ final home game of the regular season.
The project is expected to be completed in time for Opening Day in 2025.