High-end suites are already sold out for the new Augusta GreenJackets stadium, days before the official groundbreaking and months before the first pitch.
Jeff Eiseman, president and partner of Agon Sports & Entertainment, which manages the GreenJackets, made the announcement during Friday morning's North Augusta Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast.
"We have over-commitments on our suite sales," Eiseman said.
The news is noteworthy because it provides an early forecast of ticket sales. Season suite prices for 2018 ranged from $25,000 to $35,000, Eiseman added.
The stadium will seat more than 4,000 fans, with individual ticket pricing as low as $6 to $17. Club seating for the season would start at about $1,000 a season.
A groundbreaking for the new stadium has been scheduled for noon Thursday at the site.
Visitors, though, are being asked to arrive early since Railroad Avenue is still closed to through traffic as construction of the ballpark and surrounding infrastructure continues. Shuttles will be running from the North Augusta Municipal Building and nearby parking deck.
North Augusta City Administrator Todd Glover has said the stadium still on track to open in April 2018.
Also during the presentation Friday, Eiseman talked about other elements of the stadium and surrounding development, which is now being branded "Riverside Village at Hammond's Ferry." It was code named Project Jackson when the mixed-use development was still being negotiated.
Eiseman briefly touched on various bullet points, such as the 280 new apartments, the senior living facility and more than 100,000 square feet of office space.
He also unveiled an early rendering of the 180-room Crowne Plaza hotel, though he noted it was a preliminary rendering subject to change. Slides of the beer garden also were shown.
"This is designed not just for a ball game, but a social experience," Eiseman said.
A couple of questions from the audience touched on issues about traffic patterns and also potential environmental impacts. Eiseman said neither should be issues.
The development features several new roads as well as a roundabout. He also said if anything, Riverside Village brings the public more in contact with nature, further raising awareness.
On the previous evening, the North Augusta Planning Commission conditionally approved a major site plan for apartments and office space that will be situated near the left field wall of the stadium.
The building is designed to be seven floors and include 100,000 square feet of space. Commissioners said they wanted to review exterior design elements at a later date before construction begins.
