This rendering shows initial plans for the lazy river that may be built in Dr Pepper Ballpark.[/caption]

After a series of enhancements were made to Dr Pepper Ballpark last year, the Frisco RoughRiders may soon be making even more changes to the ballpark.

The Frisco Community Development Corp. approved an agreement with the minor league baseball team Jan. 21 to contribute up to $634,000 for the team to make improvements to the ballpark’s pool area.

The pool improvements could include installing a lazy river that would be larger than the existing pool.

Though a construction timeline has not been set, the RoughRiders hope to start on improvements soon, said Chuck Greenberg, RoughRiders CEO and managing partner.

“As we were thinking about ways to make it as fun and unique as possible, we came up with the idea of having a moving current in it so that it would be that much more unique and that much more enjoyable for all of our guests,” he said.

The RoughRiders expect to make a final decision on the pool within the next few months. Greenberg said the construction might not be complete by opening day this year.

The pool improvements would be a continuation of major enhancements made to the ballpark last year. The enhancements included a new high-definition video board, an enhanced sound system, an open-air sports bar, a team merchandise store and clubhouse upgrades.

The new video board, which measures more than 2,700 square feet, is more than five times larger than the previous video board.

The RoughRiders also unveiled a new logo and team uniforms last year that were a nod to the team’s namesake’s history.

The FCDC agreed to contribute to the cost of those improvements up to $1.04 million. The money left over from those improvements is now going toward more enhancements, which could include the pool area, this year.

“This is all possible for several reasons,” Greenberg said. “The first is a very creative deal we worked out with the city of Frisco last year to create funds to make ballpark improvements. The second is we were able to complete last year’s wonderful improvements to the ballpark substantially below budget.”

Greenberg said the team’s ownership group also used a substantial amount of its own funds to pay for the ballpark improvements, which he said reflects how creative and successful the public-private partnership between the RoughRiders and the city has been.

Greenberg said along with the pool improvements, Dr Pepper Ballpark visitors could see additional “bells and whistles” coming to the ballpark this year.

“Without a doubt if we’re able to pull this one off, this is going to be the one that everyone is talking about this year and for a long time to come,” he said.