The Lehigh Valley IronPigs say they don’t plan on leaving their home, despite not receiving funding for needed renovations. WDIY’s Sarit Laschinsky has more.
In a joint statement with Lehigh County released on Thursday, the IronPigs said they are committed to working together to closing the existing funding gap on construction underway at Coca-Cola Park.
The work is necessitated by Major League Baseball’s 2021 requirements to Minor League teams, which must update their facilities to operate within new standards by April 2023. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliates of the Philadelphia Phillies.
According to reports, Allentown City Council voted 4-3 Wednesday to deny giving $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to the IronPigs for the construction.
The team must make almost $10 million worth of improvements to Coca-Cola Park, and IronPigs representatives have said that if they do not make the necessary upgrades, they could be forced to leave.
In their statement, the club said they were “disappointed” by the four council members’ votes, but added that the IronPigs and Lehigh County were jointly committed to figure out a plan to allow the construction to be completed on time, in advance for opening day next season.
The statement also noted that the IronPigs signed a lease extension to play in the stadium – where they have played since their inception in 2008 - through the 2052 season, and said “the IronPigs will call Lehigh County and Coca-Cola Park home for decades and generations to come.”
(Original air-date: 10/28/22)
