Avista Stadium

SPVV served as landscape architectural consultant for the field at Avista Stadium, home of the Spokane Indians Baseball Club, as the team and the County made improvements to the stadium to meet new MLB standards.  The project included an interim renovation completed in 2021 and a full rebuild of the field, completed in late 2024 for the 2025 season.

The interim renovation improved early- and late-season playability by enhancing field drainage, replacing the existing sod, and repairing and adjusting 1980s-era irrigation zones, as well as addressing serious cross-contamination issues between irrigation and potable water demands.

A complex full reconstruction removed the entire playing surface to the original 1958 subgrade, removing approximately 14” of poorly draining thatch and sand.  The new engineered sand-based field was designed to drain quickly through the soil matrix into the subsurface drainage system. Flat panel drains and collector piping transport stormwater through the field area, connecting to two large drainage galleries. The playing surface was shaped to meet MLB standards, and a custom seed blend was selected for a contract grow operation early in the 2024 growing season.  Advance planning with the lead architectural consultant and contracting partners allowed for a highly coordinated, highly compressed construction window, beginning the day after the last 2024 home game. Excavation began immediately, with major construction wrapping up in early November. Play began on the new field in April 2025.

The new field irrigation system is served by a large single point of connection, allowing rapid application of irrigation water over a short period of time, allowing acceptable drying times ahead of following-day games.   A state-of-the-art control system allows groundskeepers to monitor usage and adjust application rates quickly and efficiently, enhancing the playability and durability of the new grass surface. Constant maintenance of the turfgrass ensures the Spokane Indians have the highest-quality field possible for consistent, safe play.