Dodgers unveil more upgrades to home stadium

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers will continue the upgrades on Dodger Stadium that began last winter, including an expansion of the Field Level entrances and relocation of the visiting clubhouse.

Plans have been submitted for approval by the city of Los Angeles for the second phase of the project, which is expected to be completed in time for the regular-season home opener April 4.

"Dodger Stadium is one of the most fan-friendly and family-oriented venues in all of baseball," said Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten in a team release. "Our goal is to ensure that we maintain that elite status while continuing to do everything in our power to bring a world championship to Dodger fans."

Here is a list of the items to be done:

1. Expansion of the entries at the Field Level, enabling all fans with Pavilion, Dugout, Field, Loge and Club tickets to enter the convenient entrances on the north side of the stadium. Also to be added are new team stores and concessions and memorabilia to celebrate the team's history.

2. Seating and lounging areas at bars and drink rails overlooking the bullpens in the outfield.

3. New food services with outdoor grills and specialty fare such as Tommy Lasorda's Italian and hot-off-the-grill BBQ, areas where the Hall of Fame manager and other former players will spend time with fans.

4. An expansion of the popular Reserve Level "La Taqueria" stand near the kids play area at the left-field Reserve entry.

5. Relocating the visiting team clubhouse to an area near the visiting team dugout at field level so that all visiting team areas are in a single new area adjacent to the batting tunnel, conditioning room and training area built last winter.

6. Continuing work on the upgrade of the electrical infrastructure that supports the 1962 stadium, designed to improve safety and provide fans with better technology.

7. Enhancement of the ballpark's landscaping by the club's full-time arborist that will result in three times as many trees in the outfield as before. The display of the famed "Three Sisters" behind the left-field bullpen will remain.

Dodger Stadium led Major League Baseball in attendance in 2013 with 3,743,527 fans.

Last winter, the club spent in excess of $100 million on the most extensive renovation in its history, retaining the look and feel of the original structure while adding state-of-the-art amenities.

Work done then included expanded entrances at the Top Deck and Reserve levels; renovating and enlarging every restroom on the Top Deck, Reserve, Loge and Pavilion levels; adding concessions and team stores; rebuilding the hexagon-shaped scoreboards, sound systems, and scoreboard control room; rebuilding and doubling the size of the home team clubhouse, and replacing the 1962 power supply with modern equipment in order to add WiFi and cell service.

Architects for the projects include D'Agostino Izzo & Quirk (Boston), Los Angeles-based Brenda Levin & Associates and Los Angeles landscape architects Mia Lehrer & Associates. PCL Construction of Glendale, Calif., is construction manager.