The brand new ballpark in High Point is just about ready to open and now the city and the High Point Rockers baseball team are finalizing plans on another important aspect of the giant operation before the inaugural season gets underway in early May.

Parking.

With a lot of construction going on around the stadium and the major turnout that city leaders are hoping for, one big issue is where all those fans will park their cars.  The team and the city have clearly been putting some thought into that very question: On Thursday, April 25, the Rockers announced the parking plans for the season – which will get started with the team’s first home game on Thursday, May 2.

That’s expected to be one of the biggest celebrations in the city’s history and one city official joked earlier this year that a flyover from the Blue Angels might be in order.  The Blue Angels won’t have to worry about parking if they show up, but everyone else will.

With tons of people expected to come out, on Thursday the Rockers announced the parking plans and lot layouts for this first season at BB&T Point stadium.  According to that announcement, the Rockers have partnered with multiple businesses around the stadium, as well as with the City of High Point, to acquire plenty of spots for the fans who come out to games this year.

In order to handle the turnout, the Rockers are using six different lots that are all a short walk from the ballpark’s main entrance.  Every game day, temporary signs will go up to guide fans in the right direction.  Each of those lots will be “controlled by members of the High Point Rockers staff to ensure safety of all fans and their vehicles.”

All parking will be on a “first-come, first-serve basis” on game night, but people can get spots through advanced purchases.

The big question fans have been wondering about is cost: Parking at all lots will be $3 per game – with the exception of the Plaza Parking Garage.  Also, Rockers fans can purchase a season parking pass at a discount – $2 per game –by visiting the team’s main office at 214 Lindsay St. in High Point.

As with other area ballparks, there will no doubt also be some business owners who turn their private lots into stadium parking on game nights and hire people with handmade signs to rent out those spaces at various prices.

Rockers management stated Thursday that they do expect some traffic issues as the parking kinks get worked out early in this first season.  They “encourage fans to carpool, arrive early and be patient as traffic and parking patterns get worked out for this wonderful addition to downtown High Point.”

For people who wish to enter through the center field gate at Wilson Plaza, preferred parking is available at First Baptist Church, just across the street from the stadium. There’s also Home Plate Preferred Parking at 318 Westwood Ave., which will open at 6:00 p.m.  Right Field Preferred Parking is located on the corner of English Road and Lindsay Street, while VIP Parking for suite ticket holders and some others is available in the gravel lot at 214 Lindsay St.

Handicapped parking for games is very limited: There are only 24 spaces available – along Gatewood Avenue next to BB&T Point.

According to team management, additional parking is available at the Plaza Parking Garage at the corner of High Avenue and South Elm Street, with Auxiliary Parking available on North Main Street or Westwood Avenue when needed.

The Rockers May 2 home opener at BB&T Point will be against the Sugar Land Skeeters – the defending Atlantic League champions.