PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The West Michigan Whitecaps have bought Comstock Park neighbor AJ’s Family Fun Center, with “big plans” to upgrade the amusement park next to the baseball stadium.

As part of the new venture, the park will be rebranded as Game Time Fun Park starting next spring.

While more details are expected to be released in the following months, the Whitecaps said they intend to improve the fun park, which sits at the entrance to the LMCU Ballpark complex along West River Drive near US-131.

“We couldn’t be more excited about adding Game Time Fun Park to the Whitecaps family,” Joe Chamberlin, CEO of the West Michigan Whitecaps, said in a news release. “This acquisition allows us to bring our brand of fun to a new audience while at the same time giving us another tool to elevate the gameday fan experience by offering something truly special for fans and groups attending Whitecaps games as well as non-game days.”

Chamberlin told News 8 that buying the business made sense for the Whitecaps’ strategy going forward.

“We’ve been great neighbors with AJ’s for the last 20-plus years,” he said Wednesday. “It’s all about fun. It meshes very well with our core demo over at the baseball stadium and we’re excited about what’s in store for 2025.”

The ballpark itself is also undergoing a refresh, with work on a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion ramping up in the offseason.    

“It’s the field, it’s the spaces for the players and, coming up in 2025, it’s going to be new group areas, it’s going to be new suite level space,” Chamberlin listed. “As we move through this master plan, it’s really going to be completely making over LMCU Ballpark.”

He said the team is excited to put its own touch on the AJ’s site.

“There are some new things to learn. AJ’s is one of the largest outdoor go-kart tracks in the state of Michigan. It’s one of the few 18-hole putt putt golf courses out there, and so it has some unique items that we have not delt with before,” Chamberlin said.   

The Game Time Fun Park will reopen in the spring and be ready for the Whitecaps’ home opener against the Dayton Dragons on April 4.

“The way we’re thinking about all the work we’re doing over at the ballpark is, ‘How do we get LMCU Ballpark ready for our fans over the next 30 years?’” Chamberlin said.