ENTERTAINMENT

9 cool new things coming to GABP this year

Shauna Steigerwald, and Polly Campbell
Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Reds are putting $5 million in improvements at Great American Ball Park this year. Opening Day is April 6, 2015.

The Cincinnati Reds are putting $5 million in improvements into Great American Ball Park this year – changes team management would have made anyway, but they've sped things up to get ready for this summer's All-Star Game. It's like when you're having a party at your house and already-planned home improvement projects suddenly take on more urgent deadlines, as Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini puts it.

We took a "hard hat" tour to see some of those new projects. Here are nine cool things you'll see at the ballpark this season.

1. Era detail at The Bootleggers Bar: A new walk-in concession area on the first-base side, facing the field, is themed to look like a turn-of-the-century speakeasy. Tin ceilings, a tile floor and an old, Gothic-style Reds "C." And ...

2. Bootleggers has ties to local history. Its facade and the wood bar are modeled after Wielert's Cafe, the Over-the-Rhine saloon frequented by political puppeteer George "Boss" Cox and his cronies. (The bar was at 1410 Vine St., between Kaze and Kroger. You can still see an "H.W." for Henry Wielert on the facade.)

3: The best new thing at the The Handlebar at The Riverfront Club is what's not there. There used to be fixed-glass windows so fans could see the game while they ate, but they took something away from the feel of the ballpark. Those walls are gone. So there's a tier of seats with access to the open-buffet, open-bar offerings of the Handlebar, but still out in the open air. Groups can buy one of seven boxes in that area, equipped with king-size "thrones," for $150 per ticket.

4. The new club-like atmosphere of the Handlebar. The central bar has been removed, and there are now unobstructed views of the river and Suspension Bridge. The large open room that will work as a swanky lounge is going to feel like a party, especially because it will offer a buffet and open bar. (Ticket-holders can upgrade to the bar for $65, with no guarantee of a seat. and you can pay $85 if you don't already have a ticket. There's also a row of bar seats with great views that can be reserved for $120.)

5. It isn't quite ready yet, but the Ole Smoky Moonshine Party Barn will have a replica of a moonshine still. The event space for groups is adjacent to Mr. Red's Smokehouse.

6. The extreme family friendliness of the new Pampers Nursing Suite built by Fischer Homes. Yes, if you're comfortable with it, you're welcome to breast-feed your baby in your seat. But if you want somewhere more private and comfortable, there is a cushy room for you and your baby. It's really nice: There are upholstered gliding chairs, a restroom, a refrigerator and TVs so you don't completely miss out on the game.

"It may not be the only nursing room in a baseball stadium, but it's definitely the nicest," said Castellini.

7. Local concessions are all in one place, so you can get all your local favorite ballpark foods in one trip – the same goes for your favorite local craft beers in the Reds Brewery District that's right across from it. And all of the concession stands look more like storefronts, with brick or branded facades.

8. Retail Row, one of the first new features fans will see as they enter the ballpark, has real storefronts that replace kiosks for Majestic Home Plate Shop, Split the Pot Booth, Season Ticket Holder Central, Game-Used Authentics and Fan Club Corner. "We want you to feel like you're going down Main Street, walking from shop to shop," Castellini said.

9. Improved traffic flow: Many of the new features, such as the Bootleggers Bar and the new storefronts on Retail Row, are designed to pull lines out of the concourses, making it easier to navigate the ballpark on sold-out game days.

"I think all of these changes to the ballpark are going to make for the best season ever," Castellini said.