‘Hensville’ on track to be ready by opening day ’16

Park, entertainment space takes shape, tour shows

Patrick Stutler, a project engineer at Lathrop, left, and John Husman, Mud Hens team historian, take a look at the inside of the Fleetwood Building, 28 N. St. Clair St.

Renovations along St. Clair Street for the Toledo Mud Hens’ Hensville project continue on track, with team and construction officials showcasing the interiors of the structures on Wednesday.

The renovation work began in March, and officials involved in the project said that it’s still on schedule to be ready for the Mud Hens’ home opener in 2016. Inside 28 St. Clair and 3 and 9 St. Clair, new beams are up, drywall is installed in many parts, and dozens of renovated windows are in the process of being put into place. Exterior brickwork is also nearly complete.

A former parking lot on Monroe Street next to 28 St. Clair — which will be called the Fleetwood Building — has been graded to be used as a park for festivals, and large concrete planters have been constructed. 

Because tax credits are helping to finance the $21 million project, the buildings have to maintain much of their historical integrity. For instance, windows at the Fleetwood Building are either made from original materials or repurposed wood from a building next door, according to officials from Lathrop Co., which is doing the renovation work.

In the structures at 3 and 9 St. Clair, crews have demolished a wall to allow access between the two buildings. Visitors will be able to enter an expanded Swamp Shop souvenir store and then enter the stadium through the opening.

Crews are now working on the roofs of the buildings and installing duct work, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.