Tampa Bay Rays new home

Although the team is only a decade old, in 2007 the Tampa Bay Rays announced plans for a new waterfront ballpark. Since their inception, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field, perhaps one of the best domed stadiums ever in Major League Baseball. Even though many fans prefer to watch baseball being played outside, Tropicana Field keeps the summertime heat and humidity out, keeping fans cool. Over the last couple of years, the Rays have invested money in making their stadium one of the best experience for their fans. However, because the team has been one of the worst in baseball and that Tropicana Field lacks some of the amenities of newer ballparks, the team has began exploring options of constructing a new ballpark.
In November 2007, the Rays announced plans to build a new ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg, on the location of their spring training home, Al Lang Field. At a cost of $450 million, the ballpark would seat 34,000 fans and be complete at the earliest by 2012. If constructed, the ballpark will be open to the elements, but will have a retractable roof that will open or close in eight minutes. The retractable roof will be one of the most unique in baseball as it will consist of a light weatherproof fabric that will be pulled over the playing field by a hoist tower in centerfield. It will have all the same modern and fan friendly amenities as every other ballpark built. It will have air conditioned concourses with views of the field and the smallest upper deck in baseball.In May 2008 the Tampa Bay Rays announced their financing plan to construct the ballpark. Owner of the Rays, Stuart Sternberg, would contribute $150 million, $70 million or more would come from the sale of Tropicana Field, $100 million from a one-cent extension from Pinellas County tourist development tax that was used to construct Tropicana Field, $75 million from the City of St. Petersburg and $55 million from parking revenues. The Rays would pay for any cost overruns. The Rays are expected to lobby City Council to approve adding to the November 2008 ballot a referendum to authorize the construction. If approved by voters, construction of the ballpark could begin in mid 2009.

Oakland A's new stadium

After almost 40 years of playing at McAfee Coliseum, and for the first time in five years, the Oakland A's announced plans in November 2006 to build a new ballpark in Fremont, CA. After approval from Alameda County and the City of Fremont, the ballpark will be built on a 143 acre tract of land located on the west side of Interstate 880 off of Auto Mall Parkway. Cisco Systems purchased the naming rights to the ballpark for $4million per year over 30 years.
Cisco Field will resemble old classic ballparks of the past while combining the most advanced technology in the world. The ballpark will be the smallest in Major League Baseball, seating up to 34,000 fans. The main three tier grandstand will extend from the left field foul pole to homeplate, and down the first baseline to right field. Additional seating will be found in both right and left field. The break down of seating will consist of field level box seats, 66 four person mini seats 15 rows behind homeplate, lower reserved seats, 41 16 person suites, and rooftop box seats. The main video/scoreboard will be located beyond the left/centerfield fence. A videoboard will be located on the opposite side of the main videoboard allowing fans outside the ballpark to view video of the A's. Early estimates had the ballpark originally opening in 2009 and later 2011. In April 2008, the A's announced that the earliest Cisco Field would open is 2012.
Estimated cost of the ballpark is between $400-$500 million. The anticipated funding for the ballpark will be a combination of private equity and the application of the value of land use entitlements that will be generated by the activities of the ballpark and the adjacent ballpark village developments. The public assistance sought will be in the form of processing the development activity in the most efficient manner possible, the agreement that benefits generated solely by the development will in part or in total be used to facilitate the development program in a manner that will not impose on General Fund or Bonding issues on local government and other aspects of public-private cooperation that will stand the test of public acceptance.

twins new stadium

May 21, 2006, state lawmakers gave final approval to a financing plan for an open-air stadium for the Minnesota Twins. The ballpark was projected to cost $522 million and be ready in time for the 2010 season. On February 12, 2008, the Twins announced they would fund an additional $22.4 million to offset rising infrastructure expenses, bringing the total cost of the project to $544.4 million

Under the terms of a plan unveiled at a Metrodome press conference April 25, 2005, the Twins and Hennepin County would have built a $360 million, 40,000-seat open-air stadium. The site was near the confluence of I-394, the end of the Hiawatha Light Rail line and the proposed Northstar commuter rail in downtown Minneapolis. The total cost of the ballpark project was projected to be $478 million, including bonding costs, site preparation and surrounding infrastructure, such as road and pedestrian improvements.

The proposed ballpark wouldn't include a roof, but the Twins still favored one. The team encouraged the state to help cover that cost, projected to be at least $100 million. Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad had promised to contribute $125 million to the project.

*

In January 2004, the Minnesota Twins unveiled plans for a proposed retractable roof ballpark which would help ensure the long-term viability and competitiveness of the franchise while providing fans throughout the Upper Midwest with the nation's premier baseball venue. This project was estimated to cost $535 million.

While the plan which was actually passed in 2006 does not include a roof, most of the design elements from the 2004 plan survived.

The conceptual Twins ballpark design was a product of HOK Sport + Venue + Event, the same group that designed Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center, Baltimore's Camden Yards and San Francisco's SBC Park. While a site had yet to be determined, the ballpark had been designed to fit on a generic four-square city block. Once a site was selected, variations in the design were necessary in order to accommodate the site, surrounding structures and infrastructure needs.

The new ballpark honors Minnesota's rich baseball heritage and reflects the state's dynamic blend of urban sophistication and rugged outdoor vitality. Featuring the most intimate seating configuration in the game, Minnesota's new ballpark has marked the return of outdoor baseball for a new generation of Twins fans. The ballpark's retractable roof, had it been built, would have offered the best possible fan experience and give fans across the Upper Midwest comfort in planning a baseball outing regardless of the weather.

"The design reflects Minnesota's abundant natural beauty and its citizens' vibrancy," said HOK S+V+E senior principal Earl Santee. "This ballpark will preserve and honor the state's wonderful baseball tradition and add an exciting new dimension to the quality of life. It will be an inviting landmark for all of Minnesota and an intimate home for America's pastime."

Featuring just 40,000 seats on four levels (Lower Deck, Suite Level, Club Level and Upper Deck), Minnesota's new ballpark is among the most intimate facilities in all of Major League Baseball (MLB). Highlights of the seating configuration include only 12,000 seats in the Upper Deck, which represents the fewest number of upper-level seats in all of MLB. The new ballpark also features more than 17,000 seats between first and third base; 60 private suites; 12 group party suites; 4,000 Club seats and disabled seating for more than 800.

rebuiliding home

The Kansas city Royals Baseball team made known their plans for the renovations to Kauffman Stadium last Monday morning. The $250 million dollar project is to start this October and be finished by Opening Day 2010. some new features will include a high definition scoreboard, 39,000 seats, some terraces, wider walkways on all three parts and an outfield walkway that will let the fans to walk around the entire stadium. "We are going to have a brand new stadium," Jackson County legislative chairman Dan Tarwater said earlier this season. Anther addition is a restaurant in right field that could feature local fast food joints. They are approaching a Bar type feel to it and will be a gathering place for fans. Left field will have a Hall of Fame exhibit. The changes will be done in different parts. By Opening Day 2008, new bullpens will be to the sides of the field expanded dugout and crown seating and expanded vomitories -- the tunnel-like passages between the seats and the outside walls -- in the stadium. "We need to do everything in a certain sequence," Uhlich said. Opening Day 2009 will feature several more changes, including an outfield plaza, a walk of fame, an expanded View Level concourse and a food court, new scoreboard and new press facilities. Everything should be finished by Opening Day 2010, with several final touches, including completed areas in the Diamond Club, Crown Club, Stadium Club and home-plate suites installed. "There are going to be areas in the stadium that are going to be touched for all facets of fans, not only the premium areas -- obviously those are necessary for any renovation -- but the fan who is going to come to one game a year," Uhlich said earlier this season. The Royals said they looked at several ballparks for the new design, including Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, San Diego's PETCO Park and the renovation at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. "The best designs take little pieces from everything," Uhlich said.

vikins new digs

Just when we thought that all team owners were a bunch of cheap rich boys. Along comes Billionaire team owner Edward P. Roski Jr. he has agreed to make a NFL stadium only fit for Los Angeles. Now, all he needs is a team that is willing to play there. Roski, a part owner of the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers who has been trying for years to get a Professional NFL team back to L.A. he revealed plans on Thursday for a 75,000-seat stadium in the City he said it could be done in time for the 2011 season. “I intend to develop our stadium project that meets all of the NFL requirements, and more,” he said at a news conference in the Staples Center, where he shows a copy of what the stadium would look like. “Always the most important thing has been the certainty of doing this. A team is not going to commit to coming to Los Angeles without a stadium. We’ve taken this one point of uncertainty and made it a certainty. The stadium is a certainty and it will be built.” And he also stated that he would do without the public dollar. “Absolutely no taxpayer dollars,” he said. “There’s no taxpayer dollars to get.” He has plans for a 600-acre site to be fronted by a shopping mall; it will be on an empty property which he already owns. Roski said the cost would be around $800 million, the stadium will be made on a hillside which means way less steel he has to use. That will means that he pays 400 million less than if it were made on flat land. There is speculation that the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to move in to the new stadium. Since the team’s lease in the metro dome will expire at the end of the 2010 season perfect timing to move into their own home and don’t have to share with the Twins.

the cardinals new nest

The St. Louis Cardinals finally revealed the secret investors behind the hidden share of their $387.5 million dollar stadium plans, and it just so happens to be the team themselves. They were obviously unable to find someone who wanted to buy a baseball team, but can you blame them. the Cardinals decided to give up $30 million more for the new stadium, yet selling $200 million in private bonds to pay for the rest of the stadium

So the total cost breakdown will be as listed:

• $42.7 million from the state to pay for the inside of the building and the demolitionandto remake an interstate ramp;



• $3.4 million yearly for eliminating the city ticket tax, which the should get $42.9 million worth of bonds back;



• $90 million from the Cardinals;



• $200.5 million in private bonds, to be paid back by the team at $15.9 million a year;



• a $45 million loan from the county, to be repaid with interest. But the Cards can instead choose to simply hand over the stadium after 30 years, which they Most likely will.

So while public funds are involved the public money is covering between one quarter and one third of the construction cost, the new St. Louis stadium is still being funded mostly by priavte dollars which is the second highest amount of private money. it left the Cardinals in the hole the team is going to have $12.5 million left over in payments , and the need to regain another $90 million. the Cardinals are one of the teams with the most profit potenital in the majors they are going to need all the help they can get to make the money back. but down the road lets see if how the teamcan recover from this financial hit, But we all know the city loses every time

stadiums vs. public funds

Across the country cities and states are offering billions in financial to build stadiums for professional sports teams while putting to the side their other needs, advocates charged Wednesday.The Minnesota Twins got public funding approved for a new stadium just the year before the I-35W bridge collapsed. after that happend you would think that it would be the cities priorities. "Professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey estimate that the total public subsidy for stadiums opened from 1990-2006 is around $12 billion", Harvard University professor Judith Grant Long said. but whe she added property taxes and all other public subsidies it rings up to $18.5 billion. yet there has been no seen any type of public gain from the billions invested. the public has spent a total of $27 billion on stadiums between 1950-2006.
the government should consider not using the tax-exempt dollars of the people. $10 billion of tax exempt bonds has been put up to fund stadiums for the 82 new stadiums opened from 1990- 2006. local governments will always try not to say no to team owners and fans, and as long as the government will allow them millionaire team owners will continue to ask for public funds. you can't blame them. As long as governments give away the publics money, it wouldnt make any sense for the owners not to take the money.