Venue News: Cubs, Mariners To Adjust Stadium Dimensions; AEG, L.A. Move Forward on Stadium

Compiled by Karen Hogan, Associate Editor, Sports Video Group

The Chicago Cubs got the go-ahead Thursday to move the brick wall three feet closer to the field to make way for 56 premium-priced seats behind home plate at Wrigley Field that will shrink the size of foul territory. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved the latest in a serious of changes to the historic stadium, but not before a pair of commission members demanded that the Cubs abandon the piecemeal approach to renovating Wrigley. The changes approved Thursday will also pave the way for the Cubs to add new electrical vaults tucked beneath the grandstands in right and left field to accommodate the stadium’s electrical needs…

…The Seattle Mariners have decided to give their rebuilding offense a jumpstart in 2013 by moving in the fences at Safeco Field. The biggest change will be from left-center to straightaway center, where the wall will be moved in anywhere from four to 17 feet. From the left-field corner to the left-center power alley, the wall will come in four feet. Also, the hand-operated scoreboard that currently makes for a 16-foot-high wall to clear will be moved elsewhere, leaving the wall 8-feet-high. The distance to the left-center power alley will decrease from 390 to 378 feet. Straightaway center will decline from 405 to 401 feet. From straightaway center to the right-center power alley will change four feet from 385 to 381…

…The Miami Marlins drew 2,219,444 this season, an average of 27,401, ranking 18th among the 30 major league teams. Although the Marlins never revealed attendance expectations, hopes were clearly high after several high-profile free-agent signings raised hopes for the team. Resentment remains about the financing of the $634 million facility largely through tourism taxes. But the park has received mostly rave reviews for comfort, food and fan-friendly features. The notable offseason change will be replacement of the turf, a problem all season, with a different strain of grass — several are under consideration, said Team President David Samson. The stadium will likely still be known as Marlins Park going into its second season, he said, as no naming-rights deal is imminent, though one or both of the remaining quadrant sponsors could be in place before Opening Day…

…Even the most optimistic city leaders admit numerous hurdles remain in L.A.’s bid to bring back professional football and revamp the Los Angeles Convention Center. But as officials and Anschutz Entertainment Group executives gathered downtown Wednesday at a ceremony to sign off on and celebrate the project deal, those concerns seemed far off. The mood was upbeat, and the gathering festive. Despite the lack of a team, the proposed sale of AEG by its parent company, and another possible lawsuit over the stadium, city officials believe they’ve shown they have the political commitment to bring the National Football League back to Los Angeles. Under the agreement, the city will issue bonds to pay the $314 million cost of the new convention center hall. The bonds will be repaid through a variety of means, including a special tax imposed on AEG’s stadium and L.A. Live site. AEG cannot start construction on the stadium until it has signed a lease with an NFL team…

A $246 million football stadium could become the crowning achievement in a decade-long transformation of CSU’s Fort Collins campus. Colorado State University is in the midst of the greatest campus building boom in generations, with more than $800 million dollars’ worth of construction either complete, in progress or being planned. From parking garages to massive new residential centers, classroom buildings, laboratories and recreation facilities, CSU has earned the nickname around town as “Construction State University” for the ongoing transformation.

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