WAPPINGERS FALLS – Heritage Financial Park, the home of the New York Yankees High-A affiliate Hudson Valley Renegades, continues to see upgrades even though baseball season is finished for the year. The improvements began early in 2023 after Dutchess County lawmakers allocated $25 million for improvements to the stadium that was built in 1994.
The stadium, formerly known as Dutchess Stadium, was built in three months in 1994 at a cost of a little more than $8 million. It has operated since then, with very few major improvements until 2023.
Renegades General Manager Tyson Jeffers spoke about the latest addition to the park in left field, visible from Route 9D, saying a multi-story structure is being constructed just over the left field wall and will be a new club area along with a rooftop area for party rentals.
“It’s starting to be really impactful for the fans – they’re seeing the second level get built which will be the club area and rooftop party level,” Jeffers said, just less than a month before it was announced that he was leaving the Renegades to build a new team from the ground up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Of the major improvements underway or planned, Jeffers said “I think we’re going to be at a point where we have close to a new facility.”
The stadium needs new turf for the field, Jeffers noted because the current surface has reached the end of its useful life. The turf needs to be replaced over time for the safety of players on the field.
New seats have been installed, the clubhouse has been renovated, and other improvements are in the planning stages.
