New Busch Stadium

From SoSH

New Busch Stadium

Location:	St. Louis, Missouri
Opened:	April 10, 2006
Owner:	St. Louis Cardinals
Surface:	Grass
Architect:	HOK Sport
Current Capacity:	46,861
Build Cost:	$365 Million
Tenants:	St. Louis Cardinals (2006 - Present)

For the park known as Busch Stadium I, see Sportsman's Park. For the park known as Busch Stadium II, see Busch Memorial Stadium.

1 Stadium History
2 Trivia
3 Field Dimensions
4 Wall Height
5 Ground Rules
6 External Links

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Stadium History

The St. Louis Cardinals became the first MLB team to finance their own ballpark since the Giants began construction on AT&T Park in 1997. Construction began in January 2004, and the park was ready for Opening Day 2006. New Busch Stadium shares some of the site of the stadium it replaced. Similar to how Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati was built, part of the Cardinals' prior ballpark was torn down, as needed, to make room for their new ballpark.

The design of New Busch Stadium took into account the context of downtown St. Louis, the colorful history of the Cardinals, and the best attributes of the most successful ballparks built around baseball since the construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992. With classic arched openings recalling the nearby Cupples Station warehouses to the rich warm colors of the Wainright building, this ballpark is inspired by the classics. However, its creative use of old and new materials, from brick and concrete to exposed steel and glass, creates an architectural statement that stands on its own, with a modern sensibility appropriate for the 21st century.

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Trivia

Capacity was originally projected to be over 46,000.
Approximately 6,000 seats will not become available until the second half of the 2006 season.
Public financing:

$45 million long-term loan from St. Louis County.

Private financing:

$90.1 million from the Cardinals.
$9.2 million in interest earned on the construction fund.
$200.5 million in bonds to be paid over a 22-year period ($15.9 million per year) by the team.
Anheuser-Busch agreed to a 20 year naming rights deal (through the 2025 season) which will help offset construction costs.

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Field Dimensions

Left Field	Left Center	Center Field	Right Center	Right Field
336'	385'	400'	385'	335'

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Wall Height

Left Field	Center Field	Right Field
9’	9’	9’

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Ground Rules

In addition to adhering to the Universal Ground Rules, Busch Stadium also employs the following ground rules:

OUTFIELD AREA

Batted ball in flight striking the top or inside of the yellow screen attached from the top of the left field outfield wall to the left field foul pole: Home Run.

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