Spring Training 2012 will be here before we know it, which is why planning for the new Boston Red Sox has already begun in earnest, with a conceptual site plan released to Lee County officials this week.
Spring Training 2012 will be here before we know it, which is why planning for the new Boston Red Sox has already begun in earnest, with a conceptual site plan released to Lee County officials this week.
We already know some things about the facility: It will be located in an undeveloped part of Lee County, between Fort Myers and the local airport off Daniels Parkway. The ballpark itself will seat 9,999 (the largest a sports facility can be in Florida without incurring state review), with room on the berm for 2,000 more. The facility will be part of a 146-acre development, with the ballpark on 126 acres and the Red Sox controlling another 20 acres for development. And officials from the Red Sox and architecture firm Populous say the ballpark will be a miniature Fenway Park, complete with a Green Monster and (we presume) lots of brickwork. The total cost of the project: $75 million.
You can see the preliminary site design and read more at our sister site, Spring Training Online.
RELATED STORIES: Lee County selects Waterman-Pinnacle development for BoSox spring-training site; Lee County: Two sites for BoSox spring facility work best; Environmental concerns at play in new Red Sox training site; List of potential Red Sox spring sites trimmed to nine; HOK recommended to design new Red Sox spring facility; Local firm wins contract to build new Red Sox spring facility; Short list for Red Sox spring ballpark architect released
Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see features before they're posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!