Chain of Lakes Park
GCL ) (1993–2008) |
Chain of Lakes Park was a baseball field in Winter Haven, Florida. The stadium was built in 1966 and held 7,000 people. It was the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox from 1966 to 1992, after which the Red Sox moved operations to City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.
In 1993, the Cleveland Indians moved into Chain of Lakes Park after their own stadium in Homestead was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. The stadium served as Cleveland's spring training home until their last game on March 27, 2008. Cleveland moved their spring training operations to Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona in 2009.
The future of the ballpark and facility was long in doubt; its location on Lake Lulu has become valuable for commercial and residential development. In 2011, developers proposed a multipurpose redevelopment of the site, including hotels, restaurants, shops, and a movie theater.[2] In December 2020, Winter Haven and Polk County agreed to demolish the stadium and replace it with baseball diamonds and general-purpose athletic fields.[3] Demolition began in April 2024.
References
- ^ "Winter Haven's spring training heritage". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. July 17, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Plans Advancing for 'The Landings' Shopping Center in Winter Haven
- ^ Baker, Charles A. III (December 23, 2020). "Chain of Lakes Park expansion would include demolition of former Spring Training stadium". Winter Haven Sun. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
External links
28°0′2″N 81°43′39″W / 28.00056°N 81.72750°W