After spending $2.2 million on renovations last year, the Madison Mallards are continuing stadium expansion for the 2012 season.

In 2011 the team added seats to replace bleachers and a new roof over parts of the grandstand, among other improvements. They also sold out three out of every four games and averaged more than 6,200 fans, the most in the 16-team Northwoods League.

A complaint following a 2011 renovation was an obstructed view for hundreds of fans in the Duck Blind in right field. In a few weeks the team plans to break ground on a new two-level Duck Blind expansion so more fans can see the field.

"When that area got sold out we had 200-250 people on any given night that couldn't really see the game very well," said President Vern Stenman. "It'll definitely be elevated up, it will give us a little bit of the Mallard's own monster kind of like at Fenway."

That's not the only major renovation planned. This summer, the teams won't be the only ones on the outfield grass.

Stenman plans to tear down the wall in left-center field and add lawn seating for about 400 fans.

"It will basically be a very nice, shaded area, a spot where when we were turning away people last year for games hopefully we will have some availability out there in that new area," said Stenman.

The team is also adding a couple 15-person box areas to what was an oversize concourse behind home plate.

Thursday the Mallards will host a Fan Fest event at Warner Park. Stenman says they will announce the season's promotion schedule as well as a major event to be hosted this summer.

All of the renovations are subject to approval by various city committees. The team will make its first presentation on Wednesday.