New York Mets’ spring training complex won’t be ready by the time pitchers and catchers report

Pitchers and catchers will report to Port St. Lucie on Monday. Yet, the New York Mets‘ house for spring training, Clover Park, won’t be fully ready to receive the players and coaches when they arrive.

Clover Park (formerly known as First Data Field) is currently undergoing renovations worth roughlt $57 million. TC Palm reported that the 7,100 seat stadium is only 62 percent complete according to a December quarterly construction report that the St. Lucie County sent to the state.

The country released the report this week. It looks like the Mets won’t be able to enjoy the whole renovations by the time pitchers and catchers report, but the report states that crews are working additional hours to complete the work, per county spokesman Erick Gill.

The county officials released their new target date to have the works on the stadium done, and it is February 24th. That would be a couple of days after the first New York Mets’ home game in spring training.

The work as a whole is expected to be ready by June 3, per the report. The seats, at least, have been completely installed.

The 62 percent is by December: the updated completion status of the project wasn’t available. Additionally, there wasn’t an explanation about the reasons for the delay.

The work will also include “an expanded entry plaza, team store and ticket office; concourse enhancements, including new restrooms and concessions; widened entrances into the stands; new locker rooms; and administrative offices.”

The county asked for a $60 million loan back in June 2017 to pay for the work and received $20 million from the state toward the project, according to TC Palm.

The Mets have their share of the blame

Things started off on the wrong foot in July 2018, because the New York Mets and the county took multiple months to trim $6 million from the original project to remain under the budget available. The construction started in March 2019, almost a year from now.

The County Commission Chairwoman Cathy Townsend didn’t hide her frustration. “I am extremely frustrated with this process.”