New Mets Ballpark to Echo Ebbets Field

[redlegsfan21]

BY PAUL D. COLFORD
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Mets owner Fred Wilpon may finally get his Ebbets Field of dreams.
The design for the Mets' new $600 million stadium will evoke "the look and feel" of the beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, according to a detailed general project plan obtained by the Daily News yesterday.

Previous efforts to replace Shea Stadium - in 1998, 2001 and last year - also called for Ebbets-like features, but those plans stalled.

The new proposal received a preliminary green light last month from the board of Empire State Development Corp., the lead agency in the approval process. It will be the subject of a public hearing in Flushing Town Hall on Feb. 27.

The design scraps the retractable roof in the model of a larger-capacity, multi-use version that Wilpon previously touted.

In the new proposal, a large "360 Rotunda," as it's described, will be "similar to that of Ebbets Field, at the main entrance behind home plate," and will serve "as a gathering point for pre- and post-game events."

The new ballpark will have 42,500 seats, compared with Shea's 56,000 - and those seats will be wider and deeper.

The stadium will also boast more shops and rest rooms

In left field, the plan says, "a glass-enclosed sit-down restaurant and lounge will be available for season ticket customers."

Another restaurant, in the upper level behind home plate, will be open to all spectators and fans, according to the plan, which was obtained from the development agency.

There will also be up to 60 private and party suites, as well as standing room for 1,600 people.

A portion of the upper deck would be covered by a roof canopy "to add to the feeling of intimacy ... and to provide an additional architectural statement."

The proposal calls for construction to begin just east of Shea Stadium this summer and be completed by Opening Day 2009, when the Mets' home since 1964 will be torn down to make way for surface parking.

Most of the cost will be financed by the Mets, with contributions from the city and state.

Wilpon, who grew up in Brooklyn and was on Lafayette High School's baseball team, has often recalled watching the Dodgers play at Ebbets Field. The park saw its last game in 1957.

The "design inspirations for the exterior look and feel of the new stadium, including the facade and its detailing, come from the historic Ebbets Field and Hell's Gate Bridge," the new plan says.

Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said yesterday the team won't comment on the new design until an upcoming news conference, when it will unveil an image.

Originally published on February 16, 2006

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/391875p-332277c.html

[redlegsfan21]

February 12, 2006

The Mets are staying secretive about their ballpark plans, but Newsday has learned that, in addition to Ebbets Field, the Mets' other main model is Pittsburgh's PNC Park. For those who haven't been there, that's an excellent choice. If the Mets pull this off, they'll go from baseball's worst stadium to one of its best.

According to a well-placed source, Jeff Wilpon told confidants about PNC Park, "I'd take it in a second if I could." Wilpon or his underlings have toured every new ballpark, but Wilpon is said to love the homey feel of PNC best.

PNC also is known for its view, tougher for the Mets to duplicate given that they're a few miles from Manhattan, which can be seen only from the upper deck now. One goal is to upgrade Willets Point, which might mean folks needing a chop shop will have to go elsewhere.

Wilpon declined comment on stadium plans. Sometime in the next month, the Mets will unveil their new park.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-a4624607feb12,0,2146568.column?coll=ny-sports-columnists

[pudgie_child]

This is what was presented when the Mets Stadium was part of the proposal for the 2012 Olympics. Looks a lot like Ebbets, as has been suggested (after the northern and eastern sections are eliminated post-Olympics). I'm sure the new design will be very similar to what was proposed for the Olympics.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8368080/

[bluejaysfan]

They have the future Mets stadium in one of the MLB video games I have. The facade will look like Ebbets, but I'm not sure how much of the actual seating configuration will match.

[sschirmer]

Let's face it, anything would be better than Shea. It has to rank near the bottom of the 24 MLB parks I've been to.

[CaliforniaCajun]

It would be an opportunity for Brooklyn to get a team back if they made it worth the Mets' while to build a new Ebbets Field there.

[jrh31584]

I'm more of a fan of this:

the Mets' other main model is Pittsburgh's PNC Park.
than this:

The design for the Mets' new $600 million stadium will evoke "the look and feel" of the beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers

[Sean O]

I'm more of a fan of this:

than this:

I'm more a fan of them doing something new, rather than just rehashing the same old tired cliches ad nauseum.

Here's hoping the new Nats park actually is something new, rather than just another boring design.

[Mattingly]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/165-mets_stadium.JPG
Latest depiction of Mets'
stadium, which is slated for
2009 and will include an
Ebbets Field-like rotunda at
its entrance.

Mets can picture this

Unveil final rendering of new park (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/400644p-339426c.html)

VERO BEACH, Fla. - The exterior will bring back memories of Ebbets Field. Capacity will be 45,000 spectators.

And now there are pictures of the new Mets stadium, too. Page 39 of the Mets' new media guide includes the first glimpses of the final version of the state-of-the-art, open-air stadium, scheduled to open in 2009.

Groundbreaking for the estimated $609 million project is planned for this summer in the parking lot behind Shea's outfield picnic area.

"It kind of looks like Camden Yards," Mets infielder Chris Woodward said.

Said outfielder Victor Diaz, who said the pictures reminded him of Cincinnati's new park: "It looks nice. I hope I'll be playing in it. The first year it opens it will give us good memories, and hopefully we can win a championship one year in the new ballpark."

[Sean O]

Boring and generic, I cannot believe people are still spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tired Camden Yards ripoffs.

The mets and nats could've revolutionized stadium design, but instead are just building the same cliches as everything since 1993.

[Knick9]

*yawn* Just like the new Nats stadium, this is going to be boring and generic barring the entrance of the place. The new Mets stadium can echo Ebbets Field all it wants, but it will never replace that ballpark that once stood in Brooklyn.

[Elvis]

Boring and generic, I cannot believe people are still spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tired Camden Yards ripoffs.

The mets and nats could've revolutionized stadium design, but instead are just building the same cliches as everything since 1993.

I agree completely. PNC Park has come the closest to breaking out of the mold, but since then it's just the "same old same old". Seems like HOK has got a monopoly these days on (cliched) American ballpark design.

[Knick9]

I agree completely. PNC Park has come the closest to breaking out of the mold, but since then it's just the "same old same old". Seems like HOK has got a monopoly these days on (cliched) American ballpark design.

Which is why you would make a good alternative to HOK. I've seen his ideas so I know. ;) :clapping

[redlegsfan21]

By PAUL D. COLFORD
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

The Yankees and Mets scored big in the old bond game yesterday - getting financial boosts from the city to help them build their new back-to-the-future ballparks.
The city's Industrial Development Agency gave preliminary approval to the Yankees' bid for $930 million in bonds - including $866 million in tax-exempt financing - to erect a new 54,000-seat stadium in the South Bronx.

The Mets - who plan to build a 44,100-seat home just east of Shea Stadium - got the preliminary okay for $632.1 million in bonds. The package includes $527.6 million in tax-exempt bonds.

The go-aheads moved both teams closer to opening their 2009 seasons in the new ballparks - and demolishing their out-of-date stadiums. The deals still need City Council approval.

The planned stadiums will bring "new jobs and private investment in areas of the city that really need both," development agency Chairman Andrew Alper said after yesterday's meeting.

The Yankees plan to build a stadium with a limestone-based exterior, arches and grand entrance echoing the original, pre-1970s renovation of its 83-year-old ballpark.

The Mets hope to scrap the badly aging Shea Stadium, which opened in 1964, in favor of an old-style ballpark modeled on Brooklyn's late, lamented Ebbetts Field.

The bonds will be repaid by the teams - which will use payments to the city in lieu of taxes - to cover the principal and interest on the tax-exempt financing.

The stadium projects will also benefit from millions of dollars in tax exemptions and direct city and state contributions for construction of infrastructure.

Yesterday's votes of the Industrial Development Agency board came in a meeting much quieter than the agency's recent stormy public hearing, when comments from 38 people on the Yankees' bond bid stretched the meeting's length to more than 2-1/2 hours.

Supporters cheered the Yanks' charitable work and the jobs to be generated by construction and stadium operations.

Opponents argued that the successful Yanks didn't needed city assistance, and they protested the loss of 22 acres at John Mullaly and Macombs Dam parks, just north of Yankee Stadium, to make way for the new ballpark.

Plans call for the parkland to be replaced in the area.

Both teams are hoping to obtain final approvals, including the National Park Service's signoff on converting part of Macombs Dam Park, so they can start building this spring in order to open the new parks by 2009.

Originally published on March 15, 2006

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/399754p-338726c.html

[Elvis]

It looks as much like Ebbets Field as the new Yankee Stadium looks like its predecessors. More like (yet another) generic Camden Yards clone. And green seats - how original... Ebbets never had green seats. The old retractable-roof design looked a lot better than this one.

[Knick9]

Well, this time you actually see a double decker tease in right field. Not sure if they'll go with that, though. It would be better to have the seats be dark blue than green. I see alot of green seats at ballparks. This is alot better than the DC ballpark but this ballpark needs alittle work. The outside is nice, but it will never be like Ebbets. The lights are actually original, and there's a different location for the scoreboard, but there are a few things that still don't ring a bell with me, I can't quite put my finger on it.

[Elvis]

Well, this time you actually see a double decker tease in right field. Not sure if they'll go with that, though. It would be better to have the seats be dark blue than green. I see alot of green seats at ballparks. This is alot better than the DC ballpark but this ballpark needs alittle work. The outside is nice, but it will never be like Ebbets. The lights are actually original, and there's a different location for the scoreboard, but there are a few things that still don't ring a bell with me, I can't quite put my finger on it.

The sad thing is that they could just as easily build this Terry Schulz design and, as he says, "One up the new Yankee Stadium."

"""This is a drawing of a second proposal for a New York Mets stadium. The field dimensions are exactly the same as Ebbets Field. The grandstand design would be very similar to Ebbets Field, although it would be larger; this park would seat 43,500. The darker blue seats would be box seats, in front of the support columns, and there would be 28,000 of these seats. There would be about 14,000 reserved seats behind posts, shown in lighter blue shading. There would also be 55 suites hung under the upper deck similar to Wrigley Field. I think the reintroduction of posts in this stadium wouldn't be a bad thing. Nobody says a bad word about Wrigley Field, and it has supports in the grandstand. I think if the Mets were to build a larger replica of old Ebbets field like this, posts and all, it would totally one up a new Yankee Stadium. Heck, build in Brooklyn and be the Brooklyn Mets, that would be pretty cool too."""

-- Terry Schulz blog (http://www.stadiumdrawings.blogspot.com/)

Click here for a larger image (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1670/2029/1600/Ballpark%20Mets,%20Ebbets%20Field.0.gif)

[Mattingly]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/04/06/sports/06ballpark600.jpg
The new ballpark in Queens will have a capacity of 45,000, down from the current 57,333.

Mets Stadium May Look Like Ebbets Field (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBN-Mets-Stadium.html)

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Mets officials stirred up the past on Thursday when they unveiled a stadium design reminiscent of Ebbets Field, the storied home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

One day after the City Council approved several key aspects of an $800 million stadium for the Yankees, Gov. George Pataki, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Mets owner Fred Wilpon announced plans at Shea Stadium for a new Mets home to be built in the parking lot of the existing ballpark.

Wilpon, a Brooklyn native, has long desired a new home for his team that evokes memories of the glory days of the Dodgers, who moved to Los Angeles in 1958. Eight years ago, Wilpon unveiled a design for an Ebbets Field-type ballpark for the Mets, but it wasn't until last summer that city officials and the team agreed on a plan to replace Shea Stadium.

[TJH1923]

I am glad to see both the Yanks and Mets get new stadiums. While the past is great to remember, both stadiums are outdated. I know I will miss Yankee Stadium (both versions),but it is time to move on. By the way, I hate the Mets.:laugh :laugh

[TJH1923]

xxxxxxxxxxxx

[TJH1923]

oooooooooo

[TJH1923]

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[TJH1923]

All photos are courtesy of MLB.com

[redlegsfan21]

When I first looked at the plan, I thought "Sweet, Shea Stadium is going to be a parking lot." But then I thought "Crap, it's still near that freaking airport."

[efin98]

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Nice how the new park actually brings you closer to the game than the old ballpark.

[Toy Boat]

Not sure how to post a direct link to this, but if you go to the below web address there's a link to the official 6-minute video presentation of the new stadium:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spdesign0407,0,992463.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines&vote22814818=1

It may not be the most original stadium in the world, but I think it looks really sweet.

[efin98]

When I first looked at the plan, I thought "Sweet, Shea Stadium is going to be a parking lot." But then I thought "Crap, it's still near that freaking airport."

Can't help that, but it's part of the Mets' heritage like the trains at Safeco.

[Elvis]

Mets new stadium to echo TURNER Field is more like it. It looks like Turner Field's twin. Typical generic stadium with an Ebbets Field Rotunda tacked onto the front. But anything's better than Shea.

[Sean O]

I liked this park better when it was called Safeco.

Also, Camden Yards, PNC, Pac Bell, Arlington, Busch Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Comerica, Petco, and Turner Field. What a waste.

[Comm]

That 297 sign down RF is going to make Pitchers Nervous when Giambi Comes to bat!:eek:

[The Trooper]

They have the future Mets stadium in one of the MLB video games I have. The facade will look like Ebbets, but I'm not sure how much of the actual seating configuration will match.

What game?

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Nice stadium, no doubt about it. But it reminds me to Citizens Bank Park.

Except for the main entrance it has nothing to do with Ebbets Field and the intimacy of that Ball park, like people have said it would be.

But in a couple of years our fellow Brooklyn Dodger forum members can tell.

[ACrank]

now if the Mets would just drop black from their uniforms things would actually be great

[Elvis]

Bump.........

[Padday]

Maby the idea of neo-classical ballparks has been exhausted. It's just been unoriginal for a number of years now (especially since almost every team has or will have one). But where to next in terms of ballpark design?

[Elvis]

Maby the idea of neo-classical ballparks has been exhausted. It's just been unoriginal for a number of years now (especially since almost every team has or will have one). But where to next in terms of ballpark design?

Why should "ballpark design" be thought of as any different than simply "architecture"? These HOK people seem to think you have to make the exterior of a stadium look like...a stadium. They are only designing ballparks that look like what they think a ballpark is supposed to look like. Which is why they all look alike.

[Padday]

So maybe we should usher in the abstract era of ballpark design. Ballparks that don't look like ballparks.

What do you think the outside of a baseball stadium should look like Elvis?

[Elvis]

So maybe we should usher in the abstract era of ballpark design. Ballparks that don't look like ballparks.

What do you think the outside of a baseball stadium should look like Elvis?

It doesn't even need to be abstract, although that would be more refreshing than more of the same. It could be ANY kind of architecture. A stadium is basically just a building, and there are as many ideas for how to design a building as there are stars in the sky. Here's a photo of Washington DC's Union Station. It's pretty strong inspiration for one of my next models.

[jrh31584]

One of the ideas I had for the replacement for Shea Stadium took some inspiration from Eero Saarinen's TWA terminal at JFK. I felt that fit better with the Mets than did an HOK-ified Ebbets Field.

[Knick9]

Aside from the entrance, it doesn't echo Ebbets Field if you don't have similar field dimensions to it.

New Mets Ballpark:

LFFL: 335
LCF: 379
CF: 409
RCF: 391
RFFL: 330

Ebbets Field in Brooklyn:

LFFL: 348
LCF: 351
CF: 384 (Granted, there's a rule about too short a center field, but still...)
RCF: 354
RFFL: 297


Yes, it does look like Turner Field in a way, Elvis, but then again I'd rather have this then the even more tired out hitter's bandboxes like GABP in Cincy. This is a pitchers park, and I'm thankful one is actually going to be made. Plus, anything would be an improvement to Shea, now wouldn't it? ;)

[Padday]

Maybe we should start taking inspiration from something other than other ballparks when building ballparks.

[RichardLillard1]

Maybe we should start taking inspiration from something other than other ballparks when building ballparks.

Couldn't have said it better myself. All the old ballparks were based off of other buildings and many different types of architecture. We need to get back to that, originallity has seemingly gone out the window in favor of copying the Camden Yards.

[pesky6]

Nice how the new park actually brings you closer to the game than the old ballpark.

In what way? Those upper-deck seats look pretty pushed back to me.

What's interesting is that players back in the 70s/80s said that they wouldn't be able to tell if they were in Three Rivers or Riverfront. We won't be able to tell for sure, but with all of these retro parks looking practically the same, what's to stop it from happening again?