“This new development marks the most significant enhancement to the ballpark since its original construction and is designed to expand the ballpark’s role as a year-round destination beyond baseball,” according to a statement from the Dayton Dragons.
“This project is about more than just expanding the ballpark,” Robert Murphy said. “It’s about creating new ways for people to connect, celebrate and make memories in the heart of our city. One of our goals as an organization is to bring more people downtown. We can’t wait to share what’s coming.”
The Dragons announced early this year that a batting tunnel along the third-base side of the ballpark is under construction and will be viewable for spectators on the concourse and from Monument Street.
The tunnel measures 15 feet by 75 feet and is expected to be completed in mid-to-late April. This will be the second batting practice area in the stadium. The other is on the locker room level and is shared by the Dragons and their opponents.
The second off-field batting cage will make the Dragons compliant with a Major League Baseball directive for all minor-league parks to have two off-field batting areas.
The batting cages are used before and after regular on-field batting practice. And the second cage allows for more batting practice opportunities during bad weather.
The Dayton Dragons minor league baseball franchise was acquired in March by Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates about 41 other minor league clubs, including the Reds Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats.
DBH owns about one-third of the 120 full-season minor league teams across the U.S. and Canada. The terms and price of the Dragons sale were not disclosed.
Dragons home games had an average attendance of 8,012 in 2024, which was the third-highest in minor league baseball, despite Dayton playing at a lower level than Class AA or AAA teams.
The club’s overall home attendance was 528,778 fans, which ranked fourth in minor league baseball, even though the Dragons play fewer home games (66) than Double-A (69) or Triple-A teams (75).
Four years ago, the city of Dayton approved an agreement with Palisades Arcadia Baseball that allows the company to extend the stadium and plaza lease through 2060.
Day Air Ballpark was completed in 2000. The city has provided about $19 million to help fund the construction of the stadium and pay for some improvements and upgrades.
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