Wisconsin Brewing Company Park
{{Short description|Baseball stadium in Wisconsin, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Wisconsin Brewing Company Park
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| logo_image = Wisconsin Brewing Co Park sign.jpg
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| image = Wisconsin Brewing Company Park.jpg
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| caption = The park in 2022
| fullname = Wisconsin Brewing Company Park at Lake Country Live
| address = 1011 Blue Ribbon Circle N.
| city = Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
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| coordinates = {{coord|43.0665|-88.4755|region:US-SEWI|display=inline,title}}
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| capacity = 3,641
| record_attendance = 3,999 (May 20, 2022)
| dimensions = Right field: 325'
Center field: 400'
Left field: 325'
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| surface = Artificial turf
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| broke_ground = June 29, 2021
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| opened = May 20, 2022
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| tenants = Lake Country DockHounds (AA) 2022–present
| website = {{URL|https://www.dockhounds.com/stadium/}}
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Wisconsin Brewing Company Park is a baseball stadium in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Built in 2021, the ballpark is home to the Lake Country DockHounds, an independent professional baseball team in the American Association of Professional Baseball. The stadium was designed to fit soccer or lacrosse fields, and has an all artificial turf field so it can be used from when the snow melts to when the snow falls. The stadium is one part of the larger Lake Country Live development that also includes an attached indoor training facility.
History
Diamond Club Entertainment, LLC, investors began searching for a Waukesha County baseball stadium site back in 2018. The first site was in the city of Pewaukee. Originally called Lake Country Commons the proposal included a public market and two multi-family housing units in addition to the stadium.{{Cite news |last=Spedden |first=Zach |date=August 23, 2018 |title=Council Favors Pewaukee Baseball Complex in Straw Poll |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/08/23/council-conceptually-favors-pewaukee-baseball-complex-in-straw-poll/ |access-date=July 5, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |language=en-US}} With opposition mounting the focus shifted to a farm along I-94 in Summit. This proposal included an indoor sports training facility along with the stadium.{{Cite news |last=Spedden |first=Zach |date=October 7, 2019 |title=Summit Ballpark Plan Draws Opposition |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/10/07/summit-ballpark-plan-draws-opposition/ |access-date=July 5, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |language=en-US}} The focus shifted down the road to the Pabst Farms development in Oconomowoc.{{Cite news |last=Spedden |first=Zach |date=November 12, 2019 |title=Ballpark Pitch Shifts from Summit to Oconomowoc |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/11/12/ballpark-pitch-shifts-from-summit-to-oconomowoc/ |access-date=July 5, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |language=en-US}} On March 3, 2020, the Oconomowoc common counsel approved the building of the stadium and attached training facility.{{Cite news |last=Spedden |first=Zach |date=March 5, 2020 |title=Oconomowoc Ballpark Proposal Approved |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/03/05/oconomowoc-ballpark-proposal-approved/ |access-date=July 5, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |language=en-US}} Just weeks later Governor Tony Evers signed his safer at home order,{{Cite news |date=March 24, 2020 |title=Safer At Home: Wisconsin orders statewide closure of non-essential businesses to contain COVID-19 |url=http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/articles/safer-home-wisconsin-orders-statewide-closure-non-essential-businesses-contain-covid-19/ |access-date=July 5, 2021 |newspaper=The Milwaukee Independent |language=en-US}} putting a hold on the construction.
Ground was broken for the stadium on June 29, 2021. The DockHounds partnered with the Wisconsin Brewing Company, a craft brewing company based in Verona, Wisconsin, in a naming rights deal. The stadium will be called Wisconsin Brewing Company Park.{{cite web |last1=Mueller |first1=Matt |title=New Oconomowoc baseball team reveals logo, stadium name at groundbreaking |url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/lake-country-dockhounds-break-ground |website=OnMilwaukee |access-date=June 30, 2021 |date=June 30, 2021}} The stadium includes a 5 barrel brewery, operated by Wisconsin Brewing Company, where the company will use the stadium to test new products before ramping up production at the main brewery in Verona.{{Cite news|title=Dogs and suds: Dockhounds have their own beer, on-site brewery |url=https://www.gmtoday.com/oconomowoc_enterprise/news/dogs-and-suds-dockhounds-have-their-own-beer-on-site-brewery/article_8fb38190-cc6d-11ec-b12f-63bc9076c96b.html |access-date=May 24, 2022 |date=May 5, 2022 |newspaper=Oconomowoc Enterprise |language=en}} The park opened on May 20, 2022, to a sold-out crowd of 3,999 fans.{{Cite news |first=Amanda |last=Becker |title=A look inside the new Wisconsin Brewing Company Park ahead of the DockHounds' sold-out home opener |url=https://cbs58.com/news/a-look-inside-the-new-lake-country-dockhounds-stadium-ahead-of-the-sold-out-home-opener |access-date=May 21, 2022 |date=May 20, 2022 |website=CBS58 |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{American Association Ballparks}}
Category:Baseball venues in Wisconsin
Category:Minor league baseball venues
Category:Buildings and structures in Waukesha County, Wisconsin