Venue News: Marlins Set To Open New Ballpark Next April

According to a person familiar with a draft of next year’s MLB schedule, the Marlins are set to open their $515 million ballpark against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4. When the new-look franchise takes the field on Opening Day in the first new ballpark to open in the majors since Minneapolis’s Target Field in 2010, it will also debut its new name, the Miami Marlins. The Marlins say they average more than 10 rain delays per season, a number expected to be greatly reduced by the retractable roof on the new facility. Players and coaches alike are excited for a stadium that Miami can call its own…

…A study by Mayor Kevin Johnson’s arena task force projects a downtown Sacramento. CA, arena to generate economic benefits of $7 billion over 30 years. The estimated $157 million a year would come not only from within the walls of the arena but from related revenue sources, such as hotels, restaurants, and taxes. With the NBA’s Sacramento Kings expected to leave the city if a financial plan for a new arena is not in place, the arena task force is crunched for time as it works to convince the community that such an arena would be a catalyst for future economic development…

…A recent report states that Chicago business executive Don Levin plans to construct an arena on the east side of Seattle, with the hopes of its becoming the new home for a current NHL hockey franchise. The plans are in their early stages; neither a location nor a franchise has been selected, although potential locations are being identified in the Greater Seattle area. While Levin explores prospective locations in Seattle, the business group will begin to look at struggling NHL franchises that may be open to a change of scenery. Talk of a new arena is providing hope for Seattle residents, since the Key Arena has proved unsuitable for sports teams in the past, most notably the Seattle Supersonics…

…The relatively recent installation of movable pitcher’s mounds has given two ballparks greater flexibility in hosting non-baseball events. TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, NE, the new home of the College World Series, and AT&T Park in San Francisco have portable pitcher’s mounds made of compressed clay piled on top of steel plates. This new system, produced by Natural Sand Co., allows the mound to be separated into six pieces and removed in only four hours, compared with the four-day process that traditional mounds require. The portability of the mounds allows these baseball stadiums to become more-flexible entertainment venues, capable of hosting an array of events not limited by a fixed baseball mound…

…Nearly six years after Hurricane Katrina, the $336 million multiphase transformation of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans is nearly complete. Highlighting some of the major upgrades throughout the stadium are the gutting and refinishing of suites, corridors, concession stands, and bathrooms; construction of four large club lounges on the second level; and installation of new electrical, video, and audio systems. Expected to regain its prestige as one of the best-known sporting venues in the country over the next few years, the Superdome is set to host the 2013 Super Bowl, college football’s BCS national championship next January, and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in the spring.