West Michigan Whitecaps and Fifth Third Ballpark owners are primed to "push the envelope" and open the venue for A-list artist concerts and other major outdoor gatherings as early as this fall.

"We are looking to maximize our facility to continue to grow and be a part of the future of West Michigan entertainment," said Denny Baxter, CFO of the Whitecaps.

Previous concerts, including Snoop Dog, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, were limited to the infield only, but opening the venue to the entire field could nearly double the current capacity of 8,700.

While bringing in big names that could potentially make Fifth Third the largest concert venue in West Michigan, the expanded venue plan is not limited to concerts, according to Baxter.

The venue is currently also used for football and has a soccer game coming this year; in addition, it is in its seventh year as host for a popular park party; the fifth year for an oldies show, and the host of a winter beer festival.

"We have done oldies, hip hop, country," said Baxter. "I think we have hit all genres, but our desire is to be part of the community and everything it has to offer - not just a concert venue." Among the potential offerings are trade shows, exhibitions and rallies, he said.

Owners are in the process of determining how many people the venue could actually accommodate. "We owe it to our community to do the due diligence - to figure out how we would manage that many people," said Baxter.

If the entire field would be used for a concert, audience numbers could top 16,000. "Certainly that number exceeds our on-site amenities," he said. Traffic tops the list of concerns. "We need to figure out how to get that many people in and out efficiently," Baxter said.

Besides the traffic concerns, other issues being addressed are the need for emergency medical professionals, security, parking, and use of the facility.

Executives from the Whitecaps organization presented their ideas at a recent Plainfield Township Planning Commission meeting. According to the township, the venue already has permission to hold outdoor concerts.

Approaching the township was part of the process to keep the community informed of "our intentions," said Baxter, who also runs Blue Cap Entertainment LLC, a promotional company for concerts and other events.

"The venue would not be limited to Blue Cap events, but rather we want to reach out to the music world and make others aware that we have potential for a larger capacity."

The move to host large outdoor events is a natural progression for Fifth Third officials. "The potential has always been here and been a dream for us," said Baxter. "It is time for us to move forward."



If realized, Fifth Third Ballpark would become the largest venue in the region, surpassing the Van Andel Arena, which seats approximately 12,000.