Rays Stadium Concept

[raysox]

As you may, or may not know, the Trop is getting old. The Tampa Bay Rays need a new stadium, soon. Me being a Rays fan, and a drafting 3 student, decided to just see what I could come up with.

Some things that it need is a roof of sometime. Tampa Bay is the lightning capital of the world, thus it means rain. If it was open air, rain outs would be all too common. It is also hot as hell some days, and humid. My first idea was a retractable roof. I tried fan designs, like Milwaukee. I tried square designs, like Houston. But I eventually settled on the way Toronto is. The stadium is round with a blocky end where the roof is located above. It would also need to be located in a place that would be accessible by both Tampa and St. Pete. The location I put it in is right off the bridge that connects Tampa to Pinellas county.

Some things I considered is that during dry games, atleast there would be some cover with an overhang over the upper deck, unlike the Rogers Centre. I wanted a non warehouse look, so the outside is covered with brick, also throwing a little tie into the region(many older buildings are brick) In center field, above the batters eye cafe, a large window would be used. Said window would be facing east, so no sun would be shined into the eyes of people. The stadium would close like the Rogers Center from what I've put together. I thought I'd throw another quirk in there by possible having a glass roof(or something with the same effect) to let in some light, and provide a cool view during rain.

The inner bowl, upper deck, and some other things are based off of Tropicana Field. The aqua box would be a touch tank in the same place as Tropicana, and a back wall based off of it too. To the leftof the batters eye cafe is a party deck of some kind. A model of what the deck would be like is in the top right. I'm not sure if I've missed anything, just ask if you have a question

Here is where it'd be located, right in the middle of Pinellas County/North St. Pete. TC asked if it was accurate, and that it looked big. I went on Google Earth, found Tropicana Field, and scrolled to my location, and infact, what I originally had was too BIG. I sized it down, and this should be what it would be like. The stadium would have a plaza(in brown) surrounding it with fun things. The local area would have lots of shops pop up around it too.

[kbaker19]

Damn. That's pretty sweet. Looks like a really deep outfield in the gaps. You gonna do field views too?

[vmd9]

I still think this was the coolest stadium proposal for the Rays, even though plans fell through:

The roof design was so unique and the location is awesome!

Your design ideas are cool, but I think you should try something really unique to avoid their stadium being just like the rest. I mean Miami is building a retractable roof, and Houston, Seattle, Arizona, and Milwaukee all have similar stadiums.

[Ryoma]

It'd certainly be a pitcher's park, especially with that center field box (which would probably be pretty maligned, just like the hill in Houston).

[raysox]

Here is the field chart.

[Punch]

I have to say that I like any plan that rids the MLB of domed stadiums.

King Dome

Astrodome

Metrodome

Tropicana Field ???

Good ideas, raysox. I think they are pretty cool. One quirk I have is that the field is symmetrical. I like assymmetrical fields, but that's just me.

Punch9

[TBGKon]

As someone who can deal with the Trop, but wants the Rays to get a new ballpark, this location is my #1 choice on where it should go.

[droozer]

I think you might want to post that here: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?48980-Your-Dream-Ballpark-Designs

[kbaker19]

I feel the same way as Punch9 about asymmetrical parks, but it's quirky enough in its symmetry for my liking.

[vmd9]

I think you might want to post that here: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?48980-Your-Dream-Ballpark-Designs

some cool stuff there. I've always been interested in stadium designs, but 3D programs are just too complicated for me. Also they aren't the cheapest$$

[droozer]

I think you might want to post that here: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?48980-Your-Dream-Ballpark-Designs

some cool stuff there. I've always been interested in stadium designs, but 3D programs are just too complicated for me. Also they aren't the cheapest$$

Actually all the people on there use Google Sketchup which is free.

[Buster]

I still think this was the coolest stadium proposal for the Rays, even though plans fell through:

The roof design was so unique and the location is awesome!

Your design ideas are cool, but I think you should try something really unique to avoid their stadium being just like the rest. I mean Miami is building a retractable roof, and Houston, Seattle, Arizona, and Milwaukee all have similar stadiums.

Doesn't look very hurricane-proof.

[BBTV]

I feel the same way as Punch9 about asymmetrical parks, but it's quirky enough in its symmetry for my liking.

Old stadiums were asymmetrical because they had to be to fit in within the confines of the blocks on which they were located. When newer stadiums are built with asymmetrical dimensions, it just looks too contrived to me. If the stadium is going on a big lot, there's no reason to manufacture quirks like that in there. That being said, 434? Seriously?

Also, modern baseball-specific stadiums aren't round. They're built with sight lines and concourses in mind. I don't think we'll see another circular stadium any time soon.

[raysox]

Well I thought it would work with the outfield the Rays would have in the near future, BJ Upton, or Desmond Jennings. It is actually 2 feet shorter than Minute Maid Park at 436. Hell, The Polo Grounds was 483.

I'm working on a view of the field now.

[BadSeed84]

I have to say that I like any plan that rids the MLB of domed stadiums.

King Dome

Astrodome

Metrodome

Tropicana Field ???

I forget that its called Tropicana FIELD sometimes, and say Tropicana Dome lol

I mean I just find it odd that a stadium with FAKE grass is called a field.

[Fjm]

Here is the field chart.

Inspired by the Polo Grounds?

[crashcarson15]

Well I thought it would work with the outfield the Rays would have in the near future, BJ Upton, or Desmond Jennings. It is actually 2 feet shorter than Minute Maid Park at 436. Hell, The Polo Grounds was 483.

I'm working on a view of the field now.

Well it would be the complete opposite of the situation in Texas with pitchers not wanting to play there but with hitters in Tampa.

Anyways, the biggest flaw I see here is how most of the lower bowl is under the overhang. If I'm paying money to sit behind home plate in a new park, I want to see the scoreboard, sky, etc.

[mbannon92]

I'm not seeing any pictures or links...I'd love to see this though!

Sorry, the pics just popped up!

[andrewharrington]

So there's no concourse behind the upper deck? If you're sitting behind home plate in the upper deck, you have to enter from one of the food/shop corner areas and shuffle your a$$ between seat rows halfway around the upper deck to get there? Not practical if that's the case.

[raysox]

Good point. I should add a view of the press box level.

At the trop, the concourse is under the upper level, on level with the press box. I'll update everything tomorrow.