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New Citrus Bowl construction plan calls for relocation of Tinker Field

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando officials released new information Monday about renovations to the Citrus Bowl, which will have a major impact on Tinker Field.

Construction equipment is preparing for the beginning of demolition on Wednesday, which will ultimately bring changes for the historic field.

On Monday, Channel 9 got a look at the final set of drawings from designers about their plan for the stadium's new look.  They have a brand new concept for new concourse and club seating, but they also want to repurpose Tinker Field, which would lost about 80 feet of space due to new

Because of the Citrus Bowl renovation, the field would be too small for most practical purposes, and officials said plumbing and the seats are so old that it's becoming expensive to replace things when they break, if they can even be replaced.

Much of Tinker Field has been standing since the 1920s, and officials said the plumbing is so bad they try to keep the bathrooms off limits during events.

"It overflows so quickly because of the capacity and the situation we have over there," said Allen Johnson of Orlando Venues.

The new plan is to relocate Tinker Field to the southwest and possibly call it Tinker-McCracken Field since they'd be combining the two.

Commissioners said they were concerned about preserving the field's history.

"I hate to take something historical and move it, but if we're going to have to move it,  why not really talk about the history and celebrate it and give something back to the community," said commissioner Patty Sheehan.

"I think that we can be sensitive to the growth that we have needed and be sensitive to the history as well," said commissioner Robert Stuart.

The area's new design could be ready by June.