South Bend Cubs owner discusses details of stadium expansion

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The owner of the South Bend Cubs, Andrew Berlin, and Mayor James Mueller met Friday at the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce to discuss the expansion of the Cubs' home stadium.

The meeting heightened the excitement surrounding the upcoming renovation and expansion, as Berlin revealed more details about this almost $50 million project and its impact on the greater South Bend community.

The project will break ground in September of 2024, following the Cubs’ final home game.

With the help of Populous, an architectural firm that has designed sports venues all over the world, plans for the expansion include private, indoor suites, novel visual and sound effects, new concession stands, and a new multi-purpose building connected to the stands.

The stadium’s new design will increase in-game capacity by about 10,000 people.

Berlin stated, “We don’t think of ourselves as a minor league team. We think of ourselves as a venue that wants to entertain people that deserve to be entertained in the best way possible, the most innovative way possible, the most exciting way possible, so we worked with a firm that is expert at that.”

In addition to adding to the overall fan experience, Berlin explained that these upgrades truly benefit everyone, with the ballpark being important for community pride, as well as a revenue-builder for the city.

Berlin added, “It is estimated that we give back or the positive impact of having the team there is about $24 million back to the city. With an increased stadium, and an increased footprint, and increased crowds, that number only goes up.”

For those of you who enjoy the Cubs fireworks displays, we also learned that those will be bigger and brighter than ever once the expansion is completed, thanks to a new on-field platform.