‘Energizing the area.’ Bradenton to begin $30 million LECOM Park expansion
A $30 million project will bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic impact to the Bradenton neighborhood around LECOM Park, according to city officials.
Construction on Bradenton’s City Park project will begin in May, including new baseball fields, a football field, a “Miracle Field” and a community resource center. Officials hope this expansion will be a catalyst for surrounding development like hotels, restaurants and retail.
According to an economic impact analysis, the City Park project could generate almost $10 million annually and attract $130 million in development of surrounding businesses to cater to the expected increase in visitors at LECOM Park.
Mayor Gene Brown hopes City Park will energize the neighborhood around Ninth Street West and 17th Avenue West, paving the way for economic growth.
“It’ll help the whole neighborhood and that area, you know, needs us to give them a little love,” Brown said.
Expansion to bring new baseball fields, community programs
LECOM Park has been the spring training facility for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1923, and home to the Bradenton Marauders since 2010. The City Park project will expand the area around LECOM Park with the addition of three new baseball fields.
But Brown said City Park will be more than baseball fields, providing a year-round event space that supports everyday community activities like the Police Athletic League.
“It’ll be baseball fields, but it’ll also be a playground for the neighborhood that will help the neighborhood have a nicer area,” Brown said.
With its proximity to G.D. Rogers Elementary School, Brown said he foresees collaboration with the School District of Manatee County and other organizations to bring youth and community programming to the park.
Brown also hopes the variety of fields will draw youth baseball tournaments, concerts and other athletic competitions.
“You’re basically energizing the area year round, instead of just for a portion of the time for baseball only,” Brown said.
City Park will also include a “Miracle Field,” a wheelchair-accessible baseball field designed for people with disabilities.
How City Park could revitalize Bradenton neighborhoods
The City of Bradenton commissioned an economic impact analysis for the project in December, which found that the City Park area is underutilized.
“Despite substantial renovations over the past decade that have modernized the facility while preserving its century-old charm, Bradenton has yet to harness the economic potential generated by City Park events fully,” the report stated. “While a substantial portion of economic benefit flows into the city when visitors attend events, it quickly leaves the local economy due to insufficient hotel capacity and limited commercial development surrounding the stadium.”
An estimated 61,188 existing annual visitors to the LECOM Park area are unable to find local accommodations, with an additional 72,178 visitors expected to come with possible travel baseball tournaments, the analysis states.
“Consequently, these visitors are compelled to stay in neighboring communities, resulting in a loss of potential spending for the local economy,” the report states.
When will City Park be complete?
While City Park is starting as a roughly $30 million investment, city officials hope it will trigger millions more in development — like hotels, restaurants and retail — around the park.
“With the City of Bradenton, we have such a great Riverwalk, we have such a great main street right now, but how do we grow the other streets?,” Brown said about the potential for this project.
Construction on one of the new baseball fields will begin in May and is expected to be ready for next year’s spring training, according to Brown. The rest of the project will be built in phases with the goal to have City Park fully complete by 2028.
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 5:50 AM.
