Since 1950, the College World Series has been played in Omaha, Neb., the only NCAA event that has stayed in one location for over 60 years. Over the course of six decades, the community of Omaha has developed strong emotional ties to the College World Series as well as to its home field, Rosenblatt Stadium.
Originally built for minor league play in the 1940s, in recent years Rosenblatt Stadium had begun to shows its age, and patchwork renovations could not improve it enough to satisfy the demands of fans, the NCAA, and CWS broadcast partner ESPN.
As the contract for the College World Series came up for renewal, the city formed a committee to evaluate whether to try to reconstruct Rosenblatt Stadium or build new on one of eight potential new sites. Once it was determined to build new and a site was selected, the Building Team, led by local A/E firm HDR Architecture Inc., in collaboration with Populous, Kansas City, Mo., worked with the owner, the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA), to refine the ballpark’s final programming and design.
SPEEDING DOWN THE BASEPATHS
The new stadium had to be ready by April 2011 for the first pitch of the 2011 College World Series, which put the project on a 28-month construction schedule. To keep up the pace, members of the local GC/CM firm Kiewit Building Group moved into the HDR Omaha office. HDR and Populous collaborated on the design process, which involved meeting the needs of ESPN, the city of Omaha, MECA, and the College World Series of Omaha.
Project summary
SILVER AWARD
TD Ameritrade Park, Omaha, Neb.Building Team
Submitting firm: HDR Architecture Inc. (AOR, structural/ME engineer)
Owner/developer: Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority
Architect of MEP coordination: DLR Group
Sports architect: Populous
Consulting structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
ME consulting engineer, plumbing engineer: M-E Engineers Inc.
GC/CM: Kiewit Building GroupGeneral Information
Size: 253,638 sf enclosed, 597,458 sf including concourse
Construction cost: $91 million
Construction period: January 2009 to April 2011
Delivery method: CM at risk
The structural program called for the stadium to be separated into two parts, the grandstand and the lower seating bowl/outfield area. This division allowed two teams to work on the structure simultaneously during the design development phase, which saved considerable time.
The Building Team incorporated a mechanically stabilized earth wall system to retain the lower seating bowl earth fill, in lieu of a system of structural concrete retaining walls and footing. This option alone saved the project over $500,000.
“The construction of this stadium was a feat to pull off so quickly and the coordination between infield and outfield was challenging,” said Building Team Award Judge Timothy Brown, AIA, studio associate professor and director of international affairs, Illinois Institute of Technology.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF NUMEROUS PLAYERS
Unique in capacity and character, TD Ameritrade Park was built as a hybrid to accommodate not only NCAA Division I requirements for baseball but also music festivals, football, and even ice hockey.
“The Trade,” as it has come to be known, opened to a sellout crowd on April 19, 2011 (Nebraska 2, Creighton 1). The 24,000-seat stadium has the cozy feel of a minor league park but is loaded with the amenities of a Major League Baseball stadium: 26 suites, four team clubhouses, administrative offices, 5,000 sf of retail space, and a continuous 360-degree concourse. Total building area is 597,458 sf, 253,638 sf of which is enclosed.
The Building Team for TD Ameritrade Park competed against a short schedule, on a difficult site, and under public pressure to ensure the College World Series would stay in Omaha. Perhaps the highest compliment of the new park came from two long-time College World Series ticketholders who told NCAA Vice President for Baseball and Football Dennis Poppe, “Mr. Poppe, we came up here just wanting to hate this park, but it’s pretty nice.” BD+C
--
Click here to view exclusive video interviews of the 2012 Building Team Awards judges explaining their selections.
Related Stories
Libraries | Jan 13, 2023
One of the world’s largest new libraries opens in Shanghai
Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Shanghai Library East covers more than 1.2 million sf, 80% of it dedicated to community activity.
Religious Facilities | Jan 9, 2023
Santiago Calatrava-designed St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church opens in New York
In December, New York saw the reopening of the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine—the only religious structure destroyed on 9/11. Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava designed St. Nicholas Church to address the traditional Greek Orthodox liturgy while honoring the Church’s connection with the World Trade Center Memorial site.
Government Buildings | Jan 9, 2023
Blackstone, Starwood among real estate giants urging President Biden to repurpose unused federal office space for housing
The Real Estate Roundtable, a group including major real estate firms such as Brookfield Properties, Blackstone, Empire State Realty Trust, Starwood Capital, as well as multiple major banks and CRE professional organizations, recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden on the implications of remote work within the federal government.
Sustainability | Jan 9, 2023
Innovative solutions emerge to address New York’s new greenhouse gas law
New York City’s Local Law 97, an ambitious climate plan that includes fines for owners of large buildings that don’t significantly reduce carbon emissions, has spawned innovations to address the law’s provisions.
Fire and Life Safety | Jan 9, 2023
Why lithium-ion batteries pose fire safety concerns for buildings
Lithium-ion batteries have become the dominant technology in phones, laptops, scooters, electric bikes, electric vehicles, and large-scale battery energy storage facilities. Here’s what you need to know about the fire safety concerns they pose for building owners and occupants.
Market Data | Jan 6, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending rises in November 2022
Spending on nonresidential construction work in the U.S. was up 0.9% in November versus the previous month, and 11.8% versus the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Industry Research | Dec 28, 2022
Following a strong year, design and construction firms view 2023 cautiously
The economy and inflation are the biggest concerns for U.S. architecture, construction, and engineering firms in 2023, according to a recent survey of AEC professionals by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
Performing Arts Centers | Dec 23, 2022
Diller Scofidio + Renfro's renovation of Dallas theater to be ‘faithful reinterpretation’ of Frank Lloyd Wright design
Diller Scofidio + Renfro recently presented plans to restore the Kalita Humphreys Theater at the Dallas Theater Center (DTC) in Dallas. Originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this theater is the only freestanding theater in Wright’s body of work.
University Buildings | Dec 22, 2022
Loyola Marymount University completes a new home for its acclaimed School of Film and Television
California’s Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has completed two new buildings for arts and media education at its Westchester campus. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 film schools. Also designed by SOM, the open-air Drollinger Family Stage is an outdoor lecture and performance space.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
