Yucatán’s major-league baseball stadium to get major upgrades
The Kukulcán Alamo baseball stadium will get a major-league remodel, fit for the Leones de Yucatán, the league’s reigning champion.
The upgrades, which will cost in the ballpark of 500 million pesos, are intended to increase the stadium’s capacity (currently 15,000), as well as improve its bathroom facilities, ticketing area, and other services.
Mockups of the remodeled stadium also show a new facade as well as large canopies to protect fans from Mérida’s intense heat.
The Kukulcán baseball stadium was inaugurated in 1982 and has received several upgrades over the years, the latest in 2016.
Earlier: Yucatán Leones upset Monterrey, are Mexican Baseball League champions
But fans complain that these most recent changes were only cosmetic and, in some ways, made the venue even worse, especially when it comes to bathrooms.
The plan to remodel the Kukulcán comes as a final death blow for the Estadio Sustentable project presented in 2021, which was intended to replace it.
This new venue was quietly scrapped due to a lack of support from locals. Neighbors cited insufficient parking as well as a worry it would worsen traffic bottlenecks.
It is unclear if the remodeling of the Kukulcán will include infrastructure that will make it suitable for other kinds of events, as was envisioned with the Estadio Sustentable.
The announcement of the project by Gov. Mauricio Vila assured fans that the refurbishments would be completed during the off-season and not impact the Leones’ season.
That being said, no start or end date for the project where given.
It is notable that the announcement by Vila was made at Palacio Nacional, right next to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, during his daily televised address known as “La Mañanera.”
López Obrador is a huge baseball fan and has poured considerable resources into promoting the sport.
Vila has been seen cozying up to López Obrador on several occasions during the last month and is one of the few opposition governors in the country who appears to have a good working relationship with the president.
Political analysts mostly agree that Vila is preparing to throw his hat in the ring for the upcoming 2024 presidential race, but it is unlikely that he will receive his party’s (PAN) nomination.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
