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Never In Doubt: A Speedy Renovation 90 Days Later

Posted at 11:07 AM, Apr 08, 2014
and last updated 2014-04-08 11:07:33-04
ballpark

Fifth Third Ballpark under the lights on opening day.

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — (Apr. 8, 2014) On the morning of January 3rd, Whitecaps CEO Lew Chamberlain got the call that Fifth Third Ballpark was on fire. His son giving him the first report that a small fire had broke out in one of the first base suites. An hour later and the call became more serious. The entire first base line of suites was gone.

As the fire destroyed part of the ballpark the renovation plans were set into place almost immediately. Project Supervisor Fred Gilbert from Wolverine Building Group started drawing up the plans as the flames took what was left of the first base suites.

With a little less than one hundred days to opening day, the Whitecaps moved from mourning the loss of part of their stadium to being hopeful for a fresh new start to the upcoming season. In came the bulldozers and out went the charred remains of the old suites.

Determination kept the crew working hard through the bitter cold and snowy winter. No set back proved to be too serious to distract anyone from the end goal and now with less than a week from opening day FOX17 strapped on the hard hats to tour the renovation process.