M’S Unveil Stadium Plans
The Seattle Mariners released sketches Wednesday of their dream stadium - a baseball-only showcase with a grass field, nearly 46,000 seats and a retractable roof.
The sketches, commissioned by the Mariners from the Kansas City architectural firm HOK, offer a concept for the stadium, not a definite plan, the American League team says.
The drawings were released at a news conference by John Ellis, club chairman and CEO.
The pricetag? About $278 million, including $35 million for the roof, according to a countyappointed task force.
The roof is “envisioned as a translucent panel system allowing diffused light into the seating bowl and a resultant glowing effect at night,” according to a statement from HOK.
The firm says the building “retains the nostalgic nature of the game with asymmetry, grass, steel and intimacy.”
The Mariners’ lease at the Kingdome ends next year. Without a new stadium, team officials say, the club will be sold or moved.
The Mariners say they are losing $10 million to $12 million a year in the Kingdome.