Lessons learned after Riverfront Stadium's first game ahead of Wind Surge debut
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - "It is such a gem. I couldn't have a nicer experience. This is so beautiful. I just, I'm in love with it," said baseball fan Carlos Ortiz during Saturday's game at Riverfront Stadium.
The stadium was packed Saturday for its first-ever baseball game with more than 7,500 fans, and perhaps one of the most excited people on was Wichita Wind Surge General Manager Jared Forma.
"Overall, just an amazing day Saturday was," said Forma.
But it didn't come without issues. One of the biggest problems Saturday were the long lines to get in.
"I would voice a complaint too if I waited in line this past Saturday," said Forma. "I think luckily getting inside, and the enjoyment of the stadium and the game left everyone with a great taste in your mouth. But the lines leading in, depending on which gate you went to was one of them," said Forma.
Another big improvement coming before the Wichita Wind Surge plays its first game next month is parking. Tuesday, Wichita City Council approved a contract to put in a parking lot just west of the stadium, adding 500 new spaces.
"It's gonna allow us to take care of our fans and the Surge fans coming to games a little better. It's 500 more spots that we had yesterday, so that's great," said Forma. "Any issues, challenges we have on May 11th, I hope are new ones, and that we've been able to correct what we learned from April 10. And that's our promise, and we're going to learn as we go and quickly change," said Forma.
If you're interested in going to the Wind Surge's first game on May 11, click here for more details.