A Battered Charlotte Sports Park: In Pictures
On Sept. 30, Charlotte County chronicled the extensive damage to Charlotte Sports Park caused by Hurricane Ian's passing just two days earlier.
In all, 594 photos were submitted to public record. Here is a selection of those photos, detailing the widespread destruction of the Tampa Bay Ray's spring training home.
Hurricane Ian damaged every building on the Charlotte Sports Park grounds in one way or another. The roof of the Rays’ maintenance building didn’t survive the storm.
The tiki bar structure beyond the left-center field wall on Charlotte Sports Park's boardwalk survived Hurricane Ian's passing, but the signage and interior appears to be a total loss.
Hurricane Ian's winds obliterated the outfield wall at Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium. This is a view of the 30-foot-high batter's eye, stripped of its netting, and the outfield wall from center to right field, stripped of its padding.
A wider view of the extensive damage to the outfield wall at Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium. In the background, the awnings that covered the front offices of the Tampa Bay Rays can be seen blown back or missing.
The left field bullpen is entirely exposed after Hurricane Ian ripped away the fencing and padding along Charlotte Sports Park’s main stadium outfield wall.
A more complete view of Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium outfield wall from left to center field. In addition to the total loss of the outfield wall and batter's eye, the top of the electronic scoreboard was blown away. Tree damage on the boardwalk is also visible.
Most of the ornamental fencing around Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium was blown down by Hurricane Ian, especially along the third base side behind the grandstand.
Hurricane Ian's fury is plainly visible here as debris from the roof of Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium wrapped around trees.
Another view of sheet metal and other debris at Charlotte Sports Park in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Inside Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium grandstand, missing roof panels are visible and fallen gutters ring the main concourse.
On the third floor of Charlotte Sports Park’s grandstand, the working media area was destroyed by Hurricane Ian’s passing. This area was the primary dining and work area behind radio, stadium ops and press row.
Those portions of the Charlotte Sports Park main stadium's roof that did not blow away were heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian, as evidenced here.
In this view from the left field boardwalk, extensive roof damage along the third base line of Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium grandstand is plainly visible as is the missing signage on on the facade.
The roof damage at Charlotte Sports Park’s main stadium wrapped around the entire grandstand structure. This is a view of the missing panels down the first base line.
The main concourse outside Charlotte Sports Park's main stadium grandstand was littered with debris in the wake of Hurricane Ian's passing.
Not long after the Charlotte Sports Park refurbishment in 2008, Rays players and their families pitched in to create a playground area near the right field foul line and just before the entrance to the back fields complex. The entire area was covered by a shade structure. That structure was blown away by Hurricane Ian
A view of the tree-lined main walkway to the back fields at Charlotte Sports Park in the days following Hurricane Ian.
The 5 1/2 back fields at Charlotte Sports Park were not spared by Hurricane Ian. Field 5's stands and awning were shoved against the backstop by the storm's winds. Field 5 is the first full field visible on the right side as one enters the Rays' back fields gate.
Batting practice backstops are known as "turtles" for their overhanging, netted shell. Attempts to secure the Charlotte Sports Park's turtles were in vain during Hurricane Ian's passing on Sept. 28. This turtle ended up beyond the pond behind Field 4.
Trees beyond the boardwalk at Charlotte Sports Park came crashing into the main stadium during Hurricane Ian. This pine tree fell on the boardwalk railing beyond the left field wall.
Trees were the primary culprit behind the damage to the boardwalk at Charlotte Sports Park. This tree crashed through the boardwalk railing near the tiki bar in left-center field.
The solar panel array atop the main clubhouse building at Charlotte Sports Park was heavily damage during Hurricane Ian's passing on Sept. 28. This portion of the panels sits atop the Tampa Bay Rays' front offices, visible behind the boardwalk in right field.
Debris flew around the main stadium at Charlotte Sports Park during Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28. Impact damage was widespread, including this strike above the Rays' front offices behind the right field boardwalk.
Some of the costliest damage to Charlotte Sports Park and the Tampa Bay Rays spring training facilities came in the form of water intrusion. Doors, windows and roofs failed throughout the grounds, with no building being spared. This hallway runs between the major and minor league clubhouses.
In the Tampa Bay Rays’ major league clubhouse, water damage was extensive and the entire ceiling had to be removed.
A view from one of the ruined Tampa Bay Rays front offices behind the right field boardwalk provides a glimpse of the Charlotte Sports Park main stadium's roof damage.
The cracks in the concrete support pillars of this electrical box give a glimpse at the power of Hurricane Ian's winds. This box, near the Charlotte Sports Park main stadium's playground area, remained standing, but many others fell.
One of the more scenic areas of Charlotte Sports Park are the tree-ringed retention ponds beyond the left field boardwalk, where an occasional alligator could be spotted. Many of those trees were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
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PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County commissioners unanimously approved emergency repairs to Ch…
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