Chase field

HTML clipboard   Just where the Arizona Diamondbacks play baseball, but it is a fantastic state-of-the-art stadium. Formerly known as Bank One Ballpark, it seats about 60,000 people and covers approximately 1,300,000 square feet. You can have lunch inside Chase Field at Friday's Front Row all year long, even when it is not a game day. At Chase Field's web site, you can see how the retractable roof opens and closes in less than 5 minutes! From its signature swimming pool to its retractable roof, Chase Field has become one of the game's most recognizable landmarks in just a few seasons. Since the air-conditioned facility first opened its doors to a regular-season game on March 31, 1998, nearly 15 million baseball fans have enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Arizona Diamondbacks without worrying about Phoenix's summer heat or monsoon storms.   From its signature swimming pool to its retractable roof, Chase Field has become one of the game's most recognizable landmarks in just a few seasons. Since the air- conditioned facility first opened its doors to a regular-season game on March 31, 1998, nearly 15 million baseball fans have enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Arizona Diamondbacks without worrying about Phoenix's summer heat or monsoon storms.   Owned by Maricopa County, the 49,033-capacity ballpark joins nearby US Airways Center in making downtown Phoenix the sports hub of the Valley of the Sun. It is located just one block east of US Airways Center, home of the NBA's Phoenix Suns. The ballpark is bounded by Jefferson Street on the north, Fourth street on the west and Seventh Street on the east. Easiest freeway access is by taking the Seventh Street exit from either I-10 (turn south) or I-17 (turn north). With an elevation of approximately 1,100 feet above sea level, Chase Field is the second-highest facility in the major leagues, trailing only Coors Field in Denver. Scientists have estimated that a fly ball will travel seven feet farther for every 1,000 feet of altitude. The Structure Ground was broken on Nov. 16, 1995, for a construction project that took 28 months and cost $354 million. It was designed by Ellerbe Becket, with architect Bill Johnson as the design principal. John Wasson was the project manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Huber, Hunt & Nichols serving as the managing contractor. The structure incorporates the traditional look of red brick and green structural steel in a setting that blends into its surroundings. Many of the design details are borrowed from the warehouse district that surrounds the Ballpark. One former warehouse, the Stern Produce Building, is actually preserved and incorporated into the south facade of the building. Appropriately, that former food warehouse is used as a commissary for the Ballpark's concessions stands.   The Roof The retractable roof, comprising 9 million pounds of structural steel, operates on the same tried-and-true technology found in drawbridges and overhead traveling cranes. A pair of 200-horsepower motors open or close the roof in slightly more than four minutes, utilizing more than four miles of cable strung through a pulley system. Each half of the roof consists of three moveable trusses which telescope over a fixed end truss. The east and west sides of the roof can operate either in unison or independently. Either side of the roof can be opened to any position in order to maximize sunlight on the turf and minimize it on the interior steel and concrete.  It took some experimentation before the turf at Chase Field hit the Bull's Eye. In this case, it means Bull's Eye Bermuda, which was installed on the playing field over the All-Star Game break in July, 1999, and proved the best solution to date for growing a natural grass field in a roofed facility.  For the 2000 season, the playing field was Bull's Eye Bermuda, overseeded with Kentucky blue grass and perennial rye grass.  Even though more than half of the Diamondbacks' games are played with the retractable roof in a closed position, the turf receives sunlight at every opportunity. Even on game days, the roof remains open into the afternoon to allow maximum exposure. When areas of the field receive too little natural sunlight, large incandescent growth lights provide a substitute. The layout of the field includes a unique, visible feature that takes baseball fans at Chase Field back in time almost 100 years. There is a dirt path between the pitchers mound and home plate, reminiscent of the paths seen in very early pictures of the game. In a way, that path is symbolic of the Chase Field experience: The best of baseball history displayed in a setting that features all the modern conveniences. Keeping Cool The 8,000-ton cooling system is the equivalent of air conditioning for more than 2,500 typical Arizona homes. The system incorporates air handlers and a large cooling tower on the south side of the Ballpark. The air handlers push 1.2 million cubic feet of air per minute across cooling coils containing water chilled to 48 degrees (several degrees cooler than an average residential system). The system, which is designed to bring the temperature down by 30 degrees in three hours, is configured to deliver cool air only to the seating areas and concourses. It will not cool the entire volume of the Ballpark. Because Chase Field is a baseball-only facility, its sight lines are second to no other facility. More than 80 percent of the seats are inside the foul poles, and there is no upper deck around the outfield. What's more, the seats down the foul lines beyond the infield are slightly canted so that no fan will have to twist his or her body to look toward second base and the pitcher's mound. All lower-deck seating is directly accessible from the lower concourse, which is at the same level as the outside pedestrian entry plazas and gates. The concourse itself is open to the playing field so fans can stay in touch with the game while using the concessions, merchandise store or other amenities.   The Insight Diamond Level concourse is designed to serve as a continuous lounge and dining area servicing approximately 4,400 club seats. Above those seats are 69 private luxury suites designed to offer the utmost in comfort and catering. One floor up from the suite level, the upper concourse will seat approximately 20,000 fans. Escalators on the west side of Chase Field will take guests to either of the upper levels.   Located on the Insight Diamond Level, the Sprint Business Center will create an opportunity for product demonstrations and personal contact with companies using the Center for pre-game meetings and other corporate functions. Finally, behind the centerfield wall is the Picnic Pavillion with seats available to individuals or groups. The Pavilion has picnic tables on tiers to allow approximately 600 fans a full view of the action while enjoying a picnic or family gathering. During the 1999 National League Division Series, a portion of the picnic area was converted into an overflow press box. Riviera Pools Pavilion On a warm evening in Phoenix, some folks like to relax around the pool. Others prefer to go to the ballgame. Patrons of the Riviera Pools Pavilion at Chase Field will be able to do both. In re-creating an upscale Arizona backyard, the Riviera Pools Pavilion gives about 35 guests the opportunity to see the Diamondbacks play while enjoying a swimming pool, hot tub, fountains, catering and other amenities.   The Riviera Pools Pavilion is located next to the outfield wall in right-center. With the pool approximately 415 feet from home plate, home runs occasionally make a splash. When a Diamondback homers, water cannons celebrate by firing streams 30 to 35 feet into the air. Parking Like any downtown sports facility, Chase Field utilizes the established parking infrastructure for its guests. An attached 1,500-car parking garage provides parking for guests on the Insight Diamond Level. Away from the park, downtown Phoenix boasts some 33,000 parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of Chase Field. The Diamondbacks estimate that about 15,000 spaces are necessary to accommodate a sellout crowd. Music Traditional baseball means organ music, and Chase Field has some of the best in the talented fingers of Bobby Freeman. He moved into the major leagues without a hitch in 1998 after being a long-time fan favorite as organist for the Pacific Coast League's Phoenix Firebirds.   Address: Phoenix,Arizona

 

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