by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, a stark contrast to the now-bulldozed Wolfson Park, is proving to be more than just a facility for watching a baseball game. Jacksonville Suns representatives say it’s also turning out to be a popular gathering spot that soon may lead to more nighttime options downtown.
“The concourse of the park absolutely lends itself to socializing, much more than Wolfson Park ever did,” said Suns owner Peter Bragan Jr. “No matter where you are you can see the field while you catch up with your friends and that helps a lot. To be honest, this park is getting more because it gives more.”
Spectators agree.
“It’s a social event,” said Kassi Hite, who works near downtown and, like many others, recognizes the need for more entertainment on the Northbank after 6 p.m.
“No doubt about it. Even people who don’t like baseball can appreciate the new park, and they want to see it. If you give people something to do downtown, they’ll come downtown,” she said. “No one will deny that. Younger people who work in the area want to stay after work, but for a long time there wasn’t a lot to keep them here.
“The Suns games are definitely helping a lot, and I think, when the rest of the area starts catching up, people from farther away, places like the beaches will come, too.”
And while the Suns have already shattered previous attendance records, Bragan said, the quality of the crowds also has risen substantially.
“We’re getting nicer crowds, more upscale crowds, which we’ve been trying to do for years,” he said. “And they’re staying for the whole games. When we hear them say they’ll be back, it’s a great feeling. We really are doing better than ever.”
Enticing the right people may be credited to more than just a new stadium. Carefully executed marketing strategies are also playing large roles, though Bragan admitted young urban professionals remain a priority.
“It makes perfect sense for people who work downtown to come, but we also do try to target different audiences for different games,” said Bragan. “Younger audiences turn out for nights when we have specially priced beer, so we’ll run ads on Planet Radio [FM-93.3] because that appeals to them.
“When we had [Jimmy] Buffett Night, we advertised in other ways and a ton of people showed up. Three thousand even stayed after the game when the tribute band played. We didn’t count on nearly that many.”
And after-hours businesses downtown say they’re also getting a boost from the crowds at the Suns games.
“It’s awesome,” said Ginger Readion, co-owner of The London Bridge Pub. “We see people before and after the games who didn’t even know about us before. A lot of those people are even turning into repeat customers and you can’t ask for more than that.”
And with residents returning downtown, many hope the first successful season in the new park is only the beginning.
“Tenants in the building are ready for a night life downtown,” said Holly Keiter, the manager at the 11 E. lofts. “When they ask what there is to do here, we tell them to go to the Suns games.”