Greenville Drive highlights 20th season, says ballpark remains a community and economic anchor

Craig Brown, with the Greenville Drive, and Jeff Brown, with the Greenville Drive, told Greenville City Council that the team will mark its 20th anniversary this season and emphasized the stadium’s role as a neighborhood and regional economic anchor.

The Drive representatives said Fluor Field and the surrounding West End entertainment district are more than a sports venue: they are a platform for workforce and education programs, community celebrations and small-business activity. “For 20 years now, the Greenville Drive has been a neighbor,” Craig Brown said. “More than a baseball stadium, Fluor Field is genuinely a symbol of what community means.”

Council members in attendance praised the Drive’s community work and long partnership with the city. Council member Mordenorquez called the Drive “a great product on the field” and applauded the team’s community investment. Council member Gessner said the Drive’s willingness to invest locally has made it easier for the council to support related efforts.

The Browns reviewed recent and planned capital and programming investments. They said Major League Baseball’s facility standards, imposed after the 2020–2021 reorganization of Minor League Baseball, prompted upgrades; the team reported spending about $9,000,000 on clubhouse and stadium improvements to meet those standards. They also described ongoing investments in broadcast production (including plans to have about 15 games carried on local television this season), new food and hospitality offerings and other fan-experience improvements.

The presentation highlighted year-round programming at Fluor Field that the Browns said contributes to economic and workforce development — including long-running workforce events, an education-focused “reading all-stars” program that they said has brought roughly 1.5 million children through the ballpark over 17 years, HBCU and college fairs, scholarship distributions tied to in-stadium events, and partnerships with local nonprofits such as United Way. The Browns described these activities as the stadium’s “softer” contribution to local economic development.

They also noted changes in the minor-league landscape — including stadium construction and upgrades in other cities — but said the Drive remain a locally owned, family-operated organization committed to the West End and to partnership with the city. The team said a formal economic impact study, led by a researcher at a South Carolina university, is underway to quantify the ballpark’s contributions to development near Fluor Field.

Council members asked about parking and longer-term site opportunities. The Browns said short-term parking solutions are being coordinated with the county and with new private development in the area, and they identified the city’s GTA site and other nearby parcels as opportunities for future expansion as the team and district continue to grow.

The Drive said the 20th-anniversary season will include alumni appearances, special themed nights, and other fan experiences, and confirmed that the organization plans a small additional public announcement about a restaurant tenant at the Field House in coming weeks. There was no request to the council for funding or approvals during the presentation; the Browns characterized the visit as an annual update and an expression of appreciation for the city partnership.

Council and staff thanked the presenters and welcomed the Drive’s upcoming season.