Welcome To CitiField
March 6th, 2009 by Denise I Smithson, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Citi Field, the new New York Mets stadium which will replace Shea Stadium got its new name after a negotiation over naming rights with Citi Bank; netting the team $20 million per year! Not too shabby for a team which is projecting an income of around $400 million over the next twenty years. Delta Airlines also reached an agreement with the Mets organization and has received naming rights for a significant portion of the park, right behind home plate. The new stadium will feature a number of amenities to fans over those offered by Shea Stadium. The new Jackie Robinson Rotunda will be unveiled on Opening Day 2009, greeting visitors to the new home of the Mets. A look at the photos of this planned rotunda reveals an homage to the entrance of the late, lamented Ebbets Field, former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
On Opening Day in 2009, you will see the unveiling of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is basically the entrance to the ballpark. You’ll notice when viewing photos that it is almost identical to the entrance of Ebbets Field so many years ago. In fact, once you begin to look over all the benefits that the new stadium has to offer, one of them isn’t increased seating capacity. You’ll find that what used to be a stadium with over 57,000 seats available will now only have around 45,000.
Other things you’ll be able to enjoy is the improvement from 4 to 11 elevators, over 700 more seats for wheelchairs, 9 more luxury suites, 2 additional restaurants, and almost 80 more restroom facilities. Even things you won’t necessarily notice on your own like the dimensions of the seats, which make the games more comfortable watching. While all the benefits are great, the most important factor for the city is that the New York Mets are positioned to be there until at least 2049.
Of course, Mr. Met would have gotten a new home sooner or later; but the timing has been fortuitous for Mets fans. Take a look at these pictures of Citi Field under construction and images of what the finished ballpark will look like.
In a short time, you’ll be able to experience it for yourself and enjoy everything that Citi Field has to offer. Even though there will no longer be new memories in Shea, the old ones will live in our hearts for eternity. As we move forward, it becomes evident that this new stadium begins a new chapter into the history of the New York Mets. Will you be a part of it?
