Sailboat stadium in Florida

[Xstatic1]

whatd'ya all think about this 35,000-seat $450M stadium for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays opening in 2012. the sailboat covering is kinda appropriate considering it's in Florida. :laugh:

Don't adjust your monitors, people. Pictured above is a rendering of the Rays' proposed $450 million waterfront stadium in St. Petersburg. The photos of this plan have been available for some time, but the team just released this image yesterday, which features the park with the roof in the "closed" position. As you can tell from the photo, translucence is king. And after seeing those Lindsay Lohan photos in New York magazine, I have to ask: Who doesn't love translucence?

The roof is supposed to resemble a sail and I suppose it does. But it also kinda looks like a kids' pillow fort. Not to mention that the long post in the outfield originally reminded me of Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

Still, I really like this plan, which could be completed as early as 2012. It'll be unique to the Bay area and it's obvious that anything has to be better than Tropicana Field. The sad truth is that until the Rays and Marlins get new stadiums, I'll never attempt to hit every ballpark in the bigs.

This design would make the Florida swing worth it, though.

Now if only they could figure out how to equip it with A/C.

pic

 

[Cuda1447]

Agh, as a Tampa resident I can honestly say they don't deserve it. Get a competitive team with owners that care more about the team than the bottom line, maybe then we can talk about getting you a new stadium.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
Agh, as a Tampa resident I can honestly say they don't deserve it. Get a competitive team with owners that care more about the team than the bottom line, maybe then we can talk about getting you a new stadium.

That was my feeling about the Seahawks new stadium but they really earned it afterwards.

 

[anxi80]

"wow, its a schooner!"

 

[BeauJangles]

I'm impressed. I'd love to go see a game there in five years.

 

[Stunt]

Looks kind of like the Montreal Olympic Stadium. link
The tower raises a tent like roof to create an open stadium. This stadium is the embarassment of Montreal (see below).

Stadium Financing

Despite initial projections in 1970 that the stadium would cost only C$134 million to construct, strikes and construction delays served to escalate these costs. By the time the stadium opened (in an unfinished form) the total costs had risen to C$264 million.

The Quebec government introduced a special tobacco tax in May 1976 to help recoup its investment. By 2006 the amount contributed to the Olympic Installations Board accounted for 8% of the tax revenue earned from cigarette sales. The 1976 special tobacco tax act stipulated that once the stadium was paid off, ownership of the facility would be returned back to the City of Montreal.

In December 2006 the stadium's costs were finally paid in full [1]. The total expenditure (including repairs, renovations, construction, interest, and inflation) amounted to C$1.61 billion. Despite initial plans to complete payment in October 2006, an indoor smoking ban introduced in May 2006 curtailed the revenue gathered by the tobacco tax

 

[Epic Fail]

That will be the largest failboat ever.

 

[zinfamous]

I'm astonished that the Devil Ray's will still be in Tampa in 2012.

Nice looking stadium, though.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: anxi80
"wow, its a schooner!"

Nice ketch.

:laugh:

 

[bigal40]

I voted that it looks cool but the devil rays really don;'t need a new stadium.

Actually let me rephrase that. They do need a new stadium but it needs to be in Tampa.

Building a stadium in St. Pete is like building it on an island, and ostracizes 75% of the areas residents.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
I'm impressed. I'd love to go see a game there in five years.

 

[ElFenix]

wow, that's pretty awesome. that'd actually be worth going to see a game in.

 

[Capt Caveman]

They should just fold the team.

 

[erikistired]

they aren't the devil rays anymore. just the rays. team is being totally revamped, might actually make something out of them.

 

[GasX]

What are the odds of it survivnig a hurricane? Are they above zero?

 

[Epic Fail]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
What are the odds of it survivnig a hurricane? Are they above zero?

Silly, it will float when a hurricane hits.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I like it! :thumbsup:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
What are the odds of it survivnig a hurricane? Are they above zero?

I figure they would remove the sails during bad weather to keep them from being damaged by high winds.

 

[walrus]

Seems it would be impossible to see a fly ball in that cover

 

[njswift10141980]

Not bad but I have a problem with the 35,000 seat capacity, do they really think they'll get get that many fans for any of there games.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: Rubycon

Originally posted by: anxi80
"wow, its a schooner!"

Nice ketch.

:laugh:

:Q

 

[FoBoT]

is that thing hurricane proof?

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Rubycon

Originally posted by: anxi80
"wow, its a schooner!"

Nice ketch.

:laugh:

On the surface, I see a whole raft of potential problems with this design. I see the new tack they took on the style element. I even think it might take the architectural world by storm. However, I think that the designers just don't get the drift of weatherproof engineering. If they can conquer those concerns, then it will be full steam ahead and smooth sailing all the way.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: njswift10141980
Not bad but I have a problem with the 35,000 seat capacity, do they really think they'll get get that many fans for any of there games.

at first people will go just to see the new stadium. that is when the rays need to be good, to hook people who hadn't been before. and i bet hunsicker can make them competitive, though probably not division leading (boston and NY are just too much to beat year in and year out), with a stingy owner. he's got a lot of experience with that.


of course, if it's anything like miami, people won't come even if they're winning world series. though, how much of miami's lack of fan base has to do with the crappy stadium they're in, i don't know. i guess maybe we'll find out soon enough.

 

[Toasthead]

i like it