The Oakland A’s have recently announced plans to build a next-generation urban ballpark at Howard Terminal that “returns the baseball experience to the roots of the sport, while reimagining the ballpark anew.”
The overall design takes on a “ballpark within a park” design as the stadium will be tucked into its surrounding urban setting. The square block of the ballpark district will sit within Oakland’s greater urban fabric. The ballparks concourses will be transformed into streets and its concessions into restaurants.
The new stadium has a planned capacity of about 34,000 people, which includes fixed seats and general admission experience areas. To create the most intimate experience possible, the seats and general admission locations will be arranged in the closest configuration possible to home plate.
An elevated park will wrap and frame the bowl and connect the stadium to the waterfront, and an elevated tree-lined park will frame the stadium on all sides and dip down to meet the public square and open the field to water and city views. This park will connect a collection of social spaces that will be open on both game days and non-game days. The new stadium and park is being privately financed and slated for completion in 2023.
Additionally, the team will take on a second project to repurpose the current Coliseum site by pulling the adjacent neighborhood fabric into the site and create new economic, cultural, and recreational opportunities. The preliminary plans include a large park that will be surrounded by new housing, which will include affordable housing, a skills center, community gathering space, office and retail developments, and restaurants. The Oracle Arena will be repurposed as a concert and cultural events center and the original Coliseum baseball diamond will be preserved and included as part of the park.
See Also: Watch a time-lapse of Wrigley Field’s most recent phase of renovations
The A’s will now begin a “120-Day Action Plan” that will focus on gathering additional community feedback; beginning the environmental review process at Howard Terminal; negotiating an agreement with the Port of Oakland; developing a framework with public officials for the Coliseum redevelopment; and developing a framework for an economic and community benefits agreement.
Related Stories
| Apr 26, 2013
BIG tapped to design Europa City in suburban Paris
Danish architecture firm, BIG - led by Bjarke Ingels – has been announced as the winner of an international invited competition for the design of Europa City, a 800,000 square meter cultural, recreational and retail development in Triangle de Gonesse, France.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 12, 2013
Chicago rail conversion puts local twist on High Line strategy
Plans are moving forward to convert an unused, century-old Chicago rail artery to a 2.7 mile, 13 acre recreational facility and transit corridor.
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
| Mar 5, 2013
Recycled recreation: Waste-to-energy plant combines with ski resort
A new project near Copenhagen pushes the boundaries of the term "mixed use," combining a waste-to-energy plant with a ski resort.
| Feb 22, 2013
Westlake Reed Leskosky will renovate training center for Cleveland Browns
Local firm Westlake Reed Leskosky has been chosen to design renovations to the Cleveland Browns' Training and Administrative Complex in Berea, Ohio.
| Feb 14, 2013
Brasfield & Gorrie breaks ground on New College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta
General contractor Brasfield & Gorrie is scheduled to kick off construction on the new College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. With an anticipated completion date of fall 2014, the $66.5 million project will continue the revitalization of the city’s tourist district.
| Feb 6, 2013
George W. Bush Presidential Center among award-winning roofing projects honored by Sika Sarnafil
Winners of the 2012 Contractor Project of the Year Competition were announced this week by Sika Sarnafil. The annual competition highlights excellence in roofing installation. Roofing contractors are judged based on project complexity, design uniqueness, craftsmanship, and creative problem solving.