Marlins Park and Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins Moving On Up To New Ballpark
Marlins With A New Name And New Ballpark
Season Opening Spring 2012
Marlins Park new ballpark home of the Miami Marlins will be a World Class as well as a first-class baseball stadium that will be owned by Miami-Dade County.
It is constructed on approximately 17 acres of the historic 42-acre Orange Bowl site in the Little Havana section of Miami. The ballpark will have a retractable roof, a natural grass playing field and 37,000 seats.
Nearly 5,000 fans celebrated historic ground breaking day
The Marlins officially broke ground for the new ballpark on Saturday, July 18. The historic ceremony, hosting nearly 5,000 fans, was held at the site of the new Ballpark located at 1501 NW 3rd Street in Miami.
The new ballpark's footprint will have a south-east orientation, with unobstructed views of Miami's skyline made possible by six operable glass panels. With a capacity of approximately 37,000 spectators, the retractable roof, air-conditioned ballpark will be built on 928,000 square feet on the former Orange Bowl site. The ballpark will celebrate Opening Day in April 2012.
An Engineering Marvel
The Marlins Park features a Retractable roof that will virtually eliminate rain delays or cancellations. The retractable roof consists of three metal decked operable panels: one upper panel and two lower panels. The East and West panels are at a lower elevation over the stands and the center panel is at the highest elevation with 200 feet clear over second base to allow for "pop-flies". The retractable roof mechanization system is supported by two horizontal concrete track beams approximately 548 feet apart and 750 feet long. When open, the Center Panel retracts to the west main entrance plaza and the East and West panels will retract underneath the Center panel.
The challenge is to move a combined 19 million pounds within 15 minutes, traveling at a speed of 39 feet per minute. Each of the three panels can move simultaneously or individually to provide partial shading to the field surface and patrons.
Designed For Baseball The Ideal Park for Marlins Fans
Designed as a baseball-only ballpark, our intimate new 37,000 seat home will have the best sightlines, retractable roof for climate control, and among the closest seats to the playing field in all of baseball.
SECURE YOUR SEATS FOR THE NEW MARLINS BALLPARK
Check out the field Dimensions with spectator seats having a view of the downtown skyline:
The Marlins will enter into a non-relocation agreement that requires the team to operate and maintain an MLB franchise in Miami for a minimum of 35 years.
Will the Marlins Park provide any major benefits to the local neighborhood?
Yes, redevelopment of the Orange Bowl will create thousands of jobs, tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, and will change the way people view and experience Miami. Major sports facilities have long been major economic drivers for the areas in which they are located, and the Marlins ballpark will be no exception.
How has Major League Baseball supported the Marlins' efforts to build a ballpark in Miami?
Major League Baseball named the Miami Marlins as host of the second round of the World Baseball Classic, a jewel event scheduled for March 2009 in Miami. It also pledged $3 million to build a Youth Baseball Academy for local youth to develop the sport in the region. To assist with efforts to build a "green" stadium, MLB has committed for the first time a $1 million matching grant to help the parties achieve LEED certification.
Who will pay for Marlins Park the new $515 million stadium?
The Marlins will provide $155 million and fund any and all construction cost overruns except those that are government caused. Additionally, the team will purchase from the city $100 million worth of parking spaces in the newly constructed garage and pay for all maintenance, repairs, operations and insurance on the facility.
Miami-Dade County will provide $50 million of Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond funds that were specifically allocated for the Orange Bowl site and $297 million of county tourist-tax revenues. Under Florida law, these funds are set aside exclusively for tourism-related projects. No new taxes will be levied for the project.
The city of Miami, which owns the land at the Orange Bowl site, will provide $13 million, the land and the cost of the recent demolition.
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Batter Up ---- Let's Play Ball ....
