Tenant: Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
Opening: April 9, 2004
Construction began: November 2001
Style: Open air
Surface: Kentucky Bluegrass
Capacity: 43,000 (baseball only)
Architects: Ewing Cole Cherry Brott (Philadelphia)
and HOK Sport (Kansas City)
Construction: Driscoll/Hunt (a joint venture between
L. F. Driscoll Co. of Bala Cynwyd, PA and
Hunt Construction
Group, Inc. of Indianapolis) in association with Synterra/Todd
(a joint venture
between Synterra of Philadelphia and Don
Todd Associates, Inc. of San Francisco)
Owner: City of Philadelphia
Cost: $346 million
Public financing: $174 million
Private financing: $172 million
Location: Home plate (S), Pattison Avenue; 1st
base/right field (E), Darien Street; center field (N),
Hartranft Street; 3rd base/left field (W), 11th Street.
Dimensions: Left field line: 329 ft.; power alley:
369 ft. (2004), 374 ft. (2006); LF corner: 385 ft.
(2004),
390 ft. (2006); inner corner: 381 ft.; left of CF: 409 ft.;
center field: 401 ft.; right of CF: 398 ft.;
RF power alley:
369 ft.; right field line: 330 ft.
Fences: Left field line: 9.25 ft.; LF power alley:
8 ft. (2004), 10.5 ft. (2006); LF corner: 12.67 ft.;
inner
corner: approx 13.33 ft.; left of CF: 14.25 ft.; center
field: 6 ft.; right of CF: 6 extending up to 13.25 ft.;
RF
power alley: 13.33 ft.; right field Line: 13.33 ft.
A new ballpark for the Phillies has been
constructed just east of the site of Veterans Stadium
on the
north side of Pattison Avenue between 11th and Darien
Streets in South Philadelphia
and spans a 21-acre site. The
ballpark structure is situated uniformly within the city
street grid.
The structure of the ballpark is formed by
multi-story buildings containing fan facilities, team
offices
and services that surround the grandstand bowl and
face 11th Street on the west, Pattison Avenue
on the south
and Darien Street on the east. On the north, lower scaled
buildings parallel Hartranft
Street and create an open-air
concourse. At the four corners of the site, landscaped
entrance plazas
open the park to the street. Each of these
entrance plazas have a distinct character and focus,
echoing
the City of Philadelphia design plan with its four unique
squares.
The ballpark's exterior design combines the
essence of Philadelphia's rich tradition of sports
architecture
with an unmistakably modern 21st century style.
As it faces the street, the ballpark is clad in brick and
stone. Arcades on the south and west provide shadow and
shelter. Parallel to home plate, third base and
first base,
glass enclosed 50-foot high lanterns glow at night.
Approaching the corner plazas, the steel
framed seating bowl
and lanterns flank the primary entrances. The street-level
entrances lead directly to
the airy main concourse and an
open view to the playing field.
With the Philadelphia city skyline as the
backdrop, the new ballpark features "bowl-style" seating
with the
playing field scooped out 23 feet below street
level. The seating bowl layout is inspired by the classic
plans
of the Baker Bowl, home of the Phillies until 1938 and
Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park), which
housed the
team until 1971 when they moved into Veterans Stadium. Like
Connie Mack Stadium, the upper
and lower decks do not
correspond exactly in plan. The cantilevered steel structure
of the park allows for
more open seating areas.
The cross section of the ballpark is configured to
place fans on top of the action. Less than one-third of the
seats are in the upper deck. To allow for a view of the
downtown skyline, the field is oriented with home plate to
the south and the outfield to the north, 45 degrees
counter-clockwise from Veterans Stadium's orientation.
The facility features numerous amenities including
family entertainment areas, open concourse concessions, and
accommodations to provide for comfortable accessibility for
the handicapped.
Situated close to the action - a mere 13 feet
above street level - all suites are located between the foul
poles with 60 percent of the suites placed in the infield.
Citizens Bank Park Facts:
- There are twenty thousand parking spaces near the
ballpark.
- The ballpark is directly accessible from the Broad
Street Subway Line.
- Entry to main concourse is at street level.
- Seventy-two luxury suites, thirteen feet above the
main concourse, are all located between the foul poles.
- The mezzanine club level, consisting of 6,600 seats,
is twenty-one feet above the main concourse.
- The lower bowl consists of 21,000 seats, including
1,164 Diamond Club seats located directly behind home plate.
- The playing field is visible from outside ballpark.
- Side-by-side bullpens on two levels are located in
right field.