The Florida Marlins broke ground on their new ballpark over the weekend, as well as releasing more details about the 37,000-seat retractable-roof facility
The look for the new Florida Marlins ballpark, according to owner Jeffrey Loria, should reflect the distinctive architectural heritage of Miami: a sleek, cool style punctuated with pastels and plenty of access to the outdoors.
And that’s what it appears he’s getting with the new ballpark, if renderings released over the weekend are accurate. In many ways, the 37,000-seat, retractable-roof facility will be the antithesis of the team’s current home, LandShark Stadium. Featuring a stucco exterior and sporting sliding glass panels in back of the left-field seats, a swimming pool and beach in left field and a short home-run porch in right, the facility is pretty much the opposite of retro as well.
And it will be a ballpark built for comfort. The three-panel roof will open and close in 13 minutes, allowing for a quick response to south Florida weather. The small size will allow for wide concourses. And plenty of points of sale in the concourse and an adjoining Taste of Miami food court will get fans to and from their seats quickly.
Design of the ballpark is from Populous. The construction contract was awarded to Hunt/Moss in a joint venture. The current budget for the ballpark is $515 million.
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