Raley Field
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Raley Field in 2007
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| Location | 400 Ballpark Drive West Sacramento, CA 95691 |
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| Coordinates | 38°34′49.34″N 121°30′49.68″W / 38.5803722°N 121.5138000°WCoordinates: 38°34′49.34″N 121°30′49.68″W / 38.5803722°N 121.5138000°W |
| Owner | River City Stadium Management, LLC |
| Operator | River City Stadium Management, LLC |
| Capacity | 10,624 (Fixed Seats) 14,014 (Lawn + Standing Room) |
| Field size |
Left - 330 feet (101 m) Center - 403 feet (123 m) Right - 325 feet (99 m). Backstop - 58 feet (18 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 28, 1999 |
| Opened | May 15, 2000 |
| Construction cost |
$46.5 million ($64.7 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | HNTB |
| Project manager | Cordell Corp. |
| Services engineer | Frank M. Booth, Inc. |
| General contractor | JR Roberts Corporation |
| Tenants | |
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Sacramento River Cats (PCL) (2000–present) Sacramento Mountain Lions (UFL) (2012) Sacramento State Hornets (NCAA) (2013–present, Occasional) |
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Raley Field is the home of the Sacramento River Cats minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League; the Rivercats are the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since 2015. Raley Field was built on the site of old warehouses and railyards in West Sacramento, California, across the Sacramento River from the California State Capitol.
The $46.5 million stadium was built in 8½ months, but extended periods of bad weather forced the River Cats on a season opening one month-long road trip, as completion was delayed 45 days. The completion time however was estimated to be about two years. The home opening day was May 15, 2000.
The stadium is one of the few professional sports facilities in the nation built without a public sector contribution. Although constructed using bonds financed by the River City Stadium Financing Authority, bond payments are paid from ticket, concession, advertising, and other revenues, not taxes. Because the $46.5 million project cost was too large for the host city to finance, Christopher Cabaldon, in his first term as Mayor of West Sacramento, recruited Sacramento County and Yolo County to join his city in a joint-powers agency which became the stadium financing authority. Because of the success of the stadium, its private revenue sources have been more than sufficient to repay the construction bonds and build a bond reserve.
The stadium has 10,624 permanent seats and grass berms in both right and left field for a total capacity of 14,014. Its original capacity was 14,611 and was decreased to 14,414 in 2005 with the addition of a party deck. It further decreased in 2010 with the opening of the Diamond Club behind home plate. The field dimensions are 330 (LF), 403 (CF), 325 (RF). The stadium has 2,798 club seats and 750 seats in 36 suites.
The naming rights for the facility were sold to Raley's, a regional chain of supermarkets which is also based in West Sacramento, for $15 million over 20 years. The stadium was not designed with expansion in mind; therefore, if a major league ballclub ever moved to Sacramento there would be significant work required.
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