By Lisa Ramirez
Director of Communications

The Hudson Valley Renegades’ opening day was also the unveiling of the newly-upgraded Heritage Financial Park, with Phase 2 of renovations completed just in time for the first pitch. 

Improvements to the stadium - which many of us still affectionately call “The Dutch” - mark the largest investment in the ballpark since it opened in 1994. Several CCA members -  Tri-State Drywall and Acoustical and Holt Construction Corporation among them - and local union labor have worked on the project.

The new clubhouse for the Renegades - the team is the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees - exceeds Major League Baseball’s standards, and the Renegades, as well as their visitors, will also enjoy amenities such as a private weight room and enclosed batting tunnels. Dedicated locker room space for women coaches and umpires and a new players’ lounge were also in the blueprints, and a fresh artificial turf field was installed.

The upper level of the clubhouse now boasts an event space to be utilized both during and beyond the baseball season. The space can accommodate as many as 200 guests and feature a full kitchen and bar, climate controlled indoor seating, bathrooms, an outdoor patio, and a section of private, traditional seats that are the only spot in the ballpark to catch a home run. The venue will be available year-round for gatherings such as weddings, private parties and meetings. 

Additionally, there’s now more seating, a rooftop party deck for groups of up to 300 people, new drink rail seating and new restroom facilities. In all, the expansion increases the ballpark’s capacity by about 1,000.

Phase Two of the construction project almost immediately followed the completion of Phase One, which included the replacement of the original outfield wall with a safer, padded wall; a new batter’s eye in center field; the renovation of the right field clubhouse building, and the enclosure of batting cages. 

In all, the stadium - built in just 90 days in 1994 at a cost of  $8.3 million -  underwent a $25 million renovation plan that began in 2019 when the original seats were replaced. Initially dubbed Dutchess Stadium, the Renegades in 2023 inked an agreement with Heritage Financial Credit Union, negotiating a contract that included naming rights. 

The Renegades played their home-opener April 16 against the Aberdeen IronBirds, the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.