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Petco Park / San Diego
Padres / 2004 With an understated Spanish Mission-style exterior and a
layout that's designed to create individual
"neighborhoods" within the ballpark, Petco Park --
which, in 2004, replaces Qualcomm Stadium as the home of the
San Diego Padres -- will be a distinctive addition to
major-league ballparks. Following in the
"less-is-more" formula found in parks opening in the
2000s (Petco Park seats open 46,000 -- 20,000 fewer than
Qualcomm Stadium), the main selling point of Petco Park will
be its intimate atmosphere and integration into downtown San
Diego. The total cost of the project is $449.4 million: the ballpark
itself will cost $294.1 million and land/infrastructure
costs are $151.3 million. The center-field area is actually two different areas.
Within the ballpark itself is the aforementioned grassy berm
for lounging and picnicking. Outside of the stadium will be
the "Park at the Park," where fans can watch the
game free of charge. The exact makeup of the Park at the Park
has changed over time: originally it was to be a festival-type
area, but the Padres have scaled back their plans for the
area. The final layout has yet to be determined, as San Diego
city officials have expressed concerns that the Park Within a
Park does not match what the Padres originally promised in
pursuing public funding for the park in the past.
Seating:
46,000
Architects: HOK Sport
(Kansas City)
Dimensions: 
Designed
by HOK Sport solely as a baseball stadium (again, as opposed
to Qualcomm Stadium, which is also the home of the NFL's San
Diego Chargers), all of the stadium's seats will be oriented
toward the pitchers' mounds, thanks to the horseshoe design of
the grandstand. But, perhaps as important, the stadium is
designed with lots of open areas for walking around, so fans
can get a view of the action from several different angles
throughout a game. There are actually only 42,000 seats in the
ballpark, but the capacity is expanded thanks to
standing-room-only areas scattered throughout the park and a
grassy outfield berm area. 
In
addition, there will be seating in a variety of settings in
the stadium. The historic Western Metal Supply Company
Building will be incorporated as a portion of the left-field
wall and foul pole. The top of the building will be devoted to
bleacher and standing-room-only seating (a la the rooftop
seating outside Wrigley
Field and to be incorporated in the new Phillies
Ballpark). The fourth floor will be devoted to a
restaurant, while party suites (designed for group outings)
will be located on the second and third floors. Finally, the
Padres' Team Store located on the first floor, featuring a
door that will open onto a standing-room area in left field.
There will be 60 luxury suites distributed among the Field,
Club and Garden Levels and in the distinctive, strategically
placed 200-foot tall towers. The 5,000-seat Club Level will
feature, while 1,500 Field Club seats, with box rails, will be
located on the Field Level. The most exclusive area of the
park is the 200-seat Dugout Seats area located directly behind
home plate. Both the Club Level and the Field Club areas will
feature their own lounges and open-air terrace dining area
behind home plate, while the Founders' Club Lounge will
provide members and their guests with views into the Padres
batting tunnels. 
The
ballpark is part of a larger 26-block downtown San Diego
development project that includes hotels, retail, and housing,
all within walking distance of the San Diego Convention Center
and the popular Gaslamp Quarter. The Omni Hotel, located west
of the Ballpark on L Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues),
will be linked to the main concourse of the stadium via
pedestrian sky bridge. The top ten levels of the hotel will be
occupied by condominiums. 
The
ballpark is also designed to have a very Southern California
feel to it. The main entrance has a Spanish Mission theme,
with a palm court, water walls, jacaranda trees, and a stucco
exterior. The grandstand features three levels, while the
scoreboard will be located above the left-field seats. The top
levels will be cantilevered, placing them closer to the action
on the field. Finally, some of the higher-priced seating areas
will feature computer terminals that will allow fans to surf
the Internet, check out players stats, or order food from
their seats.
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