Siding Meets Disapproval Mariners Ballpark Architects Defend Construction Materials

Corrugated metal that will make up part of the new $414 million Mariners ballpark looks like material for shacks and chicken coops, according to some stadium board members.

But architects said Monday the rippled metal siding which forms a silver swath on the south and east sides of the building blends in with the nearby industrial area.

The side facing Pioneer Square appropriately features bricks, said architect Dennis Forsyth.

“They’re different because they face different parts of the city,” he said. “I would not say that’s a lesser quality space.”

But board member Sue Taoka was concerned that the use of more industrial-looking materials on the side facing the International District could be misconstrued.

“The kind of message that sends to people around is not good,” said Taoka, an International District booster. “I have a very big concern about how this looks and feels to all of the people.”

Board member William Gerberding said although the metal reminds him of shacks, he’s pleased with the overall design.

“This is the first time I’ve found anything to quibble about,” Gerberding said.

Architects and project director Ken Johnsen added that the corrugated metal isn’t prominent because it’s behind the building’s exposed steel frame or beneath the roof structure.

Mariners vice president Paul Isaki agreed, noting the metal is going to be recessed far behind the building’s frame.

Forsyth said the metal was chosen from among other materials because it is light and adds texture. Using bricks in those spaces would require additional support, stucco would be too flat, wood is inappropriate and copper would be far more expensive.

Board members were also told Monday that bids on the stadium’s structural concrete - the largest item they’ve bid so far - were $3 million above estimates.

Bids ranged from $27.7 million to $30.4 million on the concrete, up from the stadium board’s $24.7 million estimate.

But the overall project remains on budget, Johnsen said. According to him, the concrete costs are balanced by savings on pile driving and other work that were below estimates.

Bids on the largest components - the retractable roof and the building steel - and contractor Hunt-Kiewit’s bid on the total project are still up in the air. They’re due in June.

Another unknown factor is the agency’s legal bills. To date it’s spent $1.6 million on lawyers - $300,000 more than anticipated - and it could be months before lawsuits over the project end.