A lot of people are confusing the “breaking ground on spring training complex in 2025” news as the ‘investing in player development’ that the organization was talking about, and that is not the case. Some people are even saying it’s a waste of money, and the money should go towards player payroll. I don’t know if it’s just ignorance or intellectual laziness, but people just refuse to educate themselves on topics now, and I got tired of trying to explain it in the comment sections so wanted to put together the info here.
This is not a NEW complex they are building somewhere, it is a renovation project to the same complex they already use, in Jupiter, Florida, that has been in the works for awhile, even delayed a bit. This is the third version of the project.
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is getting $108 million in renovations. It was originally planned to begin back in 2023, and then supposed to start in April of this year, but was delayed to minimize disruption to the players and staff. The Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads play their season at the same stadium that the Cardinals and Marlins use for Spring Training. The new plan ensures that the team’s won’t have to find temporary spring training homes during the construction, which was in the original plan.
The renovations include new team clubhouses, team stores, new concessions, a fan area, and more parking. The project is now scheduled to start at the end of Spring Training in 2025 and be substantially complete by the end of Spring Training in 2026.
The team clubhouses will undergo renovations instead of being torn down and rebuilt. The Cardinals and Marlins will construct new player development buildings and agility fields next to their respective clubhouses. The player development buildings will house strength and conditioning, athletic training, and other athletic functions that they are taking out of the clubhouse and placing in the new structures.
A two-story Fan Zone with 300 ticketed seats in an open area near third base is included in the plan. Originally, that Fan Zone was proposed as an extension of the seating bowl. There will be an area for a band after the games so people can stay and enjoy live music instead of fighting traffic.
The Master Plan
Features of the renovation plan:
-
Nearly 13,600 square feet of the Marlins’ 32,350-square-foot clubhouse will be renovated.
-
Just under 14,000 square feet of the Cardinals’ 31,310-square-foot clubhouse will be renovated.
-
The Marlins will get a new 12,506 square foot player development building.
-
The Cardinals will get a 13,320 square foot player development building.
-
Bullpens, now on the field outside the left and right field lines, relocated behind the outfield wall.
-
New female and male umpire locker room addition
-
Two stadium concessions converted to modern grab-n-go functions.
-
New Premium group area on the third base side with an elevated hospitality bar.
-
New 3,000-square-foot team store.
-
Upgraded Press box seating, new press box windows and press dining upgrades.
