ST. LOUIS (January 30, 2013) – The St. Louis Cardinals and their development partner the Cordish Companies announced that they closed today on the financing for the construction of the $100 million first phase of Ballpark Village.  While preliminary site work began today, the team announced that a formal groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Friday, February 8^th at 11 am on the construction site.

The $100 million first phase of Ballpark Village, which is anticipated to be completed by Opening Day 2014, will include the construction of 100,000 sq. feet of retail and entertainment space along Clark Street next to Busch Stadium.  The first phase also includes all of the streets, parking and site infrastructure to support the future phases of the seven-block $700 million mixed use project. 

The initial phase will be anchored by Cardinals Nation, Budweiser Brew House, and Live! at Ballpark Village. Cardinals Nation will be a first-of-its kind venue totaling over 30,000 square feet on three levels. Cardinals Nation includes a two story restaurant, a Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, and a 300-plus seat seating deck with views into Busch Stadium.   A second building will house a 20,000 square foot two-story Anheuser-Busch venue with a festive rooftop party deck offering views into Busch Stadium.  The two signature structures will be joined by Live at Ballpark Village!, an indoor market place with a retractable canopy covering the event space designed to be a vibrant gathering space throughout the year.  The Cardinals and the Cordish Companies will announce additional details at the groundbreaking ceremony next week.

Ballpark Village (#bpv)
The construction of Ballpark Village represents the next step in the Cardinals vision for their investment in downtown St. Louis that began with the opening of the privately financed, $411 Busch Stadium in 2006.  Ballpark Village is an approximately $550 million mixed-use retail, entertainment, office, and residential district being developed in partnership by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cordish Companies.  Spanning seven city blocks on the 10-acre site just north of Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village will be the country’s first fully integrated mixed-use development designed to deliver the excitement and energy of the game day experience to a new neighborhood outside the stadium walls.

The Cordish Companies
For generations, the Cordish family has grown The Cordish Companies into one of the world’s leading real estate development companies and a diverse group of successful entertainment-operating businesses.  Cordish Companies’ entertainment and mixed use projects include the Kansas City Power & Light District, Louisville Fourth Street Live, and The Power Plant & Pier IV in Baltimore.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are pleased to announce the release of their 2012 Texas League Schedule.

The Naturals will open the 2012 season with a six-game road trip to Corpus Christi and San Antonio before their home opener at Arvest Ballpark on Thursday, April 12^th vs. the Corpus Christi Hooks. It will be the first time since the 2009 season that the Naturals have opened the season with a road trip and the first time ever that the home opener has been against a team other than San Antonio. The final home game will be on of the regular season will be on Labor Day, Monday, September 3^rd against the Tulsa Drillers.

The 2012, 70-home game schedule is highlighted by 31 games falling on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday dates. The schedule will see the Naturals face off 16 times against their two biggest rivals: the in-state Arkansas Travelers from North Little Rock (Los Angeles Angels), and the Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis). Each will visit Arvest Ballpark four times in 2012, and at least two series against each team will be played on weekends. The Naturals are also home for the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.

2012 will feature three School Kids Day Games (April 25^th, April 30^th, and May 8^th). Special group rates are available for those days. In addition, our group areas such as the Bud Light Bullpen Café and Wendy’s Home Plate Party Deck as well as luxury suite rentals are also available on all day games for companies looking to do a daytime corporate outing.

Next season’s Texas League All-Star game will be Wednesday, June 27^th at ONEOK Field, home of the Tulsa Drillers.

Pocket schedules with these home dates will be passed out to fans during the Naturals’ upcoming homestand beginning on Saturday night and can also be obtained by visiting the box office at Arvest Ballpark. A printable PDF copy of the schedule will also be made available in the coming days on the Naturals’ official website, www.nwanaturals.com.

Season tickets for the 2012 season are now on sale. Information on ticket plans and group information will be available in the coming weeks. Details regarding weekday promotions, giveaway nights, and the 2012 promotional calendar will be available in late February 2012.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.