New Yankee Stadium
Opening day for the new Yankee Stadium is not too far away now; while for eager fans, it may seem like an eternity, Spring 2009 will soon be upon us and fans will be able to see and experience the latest chapter in Yankees history for themselves. While there are some who are of the opinion that with the old stadium an important piece of New York history will be lost; and indeed Yankee Stadium has seen a lot of changes in the South Bronx in the last 86 years, the new stadium promises to be something which fans new and old alike will enjoy. The new $1.3 billion Yankee Stadium will be a worthy addition to the Yankees and to the up and coming South Bronx.
Since 1980, the idea of a new Yankee Stadium has been kicked around. Originally, the owner wanted to move the stadium given the state of the South Bronx at the time. As ideas were brought up, discussed and discarded, the neighborhood turned around and the team gained in popularity. By the early 1990s, the Yankees organization were still interested in building a new stadium - but right there in the Bronx.
The largest hurdle faced by the Yankees organization in building a new stadium was finances. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was in favor of the city supporting new stadiums for both the Yankees and Mets with $800 million in construction funds and a $390 million investment in improved public transportation. The Mets would also receive $80,000 in the form of debt forgiveness and along with the Yankees, would receive $25 million in funds for planning and logistics. Giuliani’s plan also included a waiver on sales and property taxes for both teams, as well as low cost, state subsidized electricity. Both teams would also receive 96% of ticket sales and 100% of parking fees for the new stadiums and other revenues.
The plan also waived sales and property taxes on the teams, would have provided both stadiums with state subsidized low cost electricity and allowed the teams to keep 100% of parking and other revenue brought in by the stadiums, with the city receiving a mere 4% of the ticket sales. Things looked a little less rosy for New York’s ball clubs when current Mayor Michael Bloomberg too office. Mayor Bloomberg decided to exercise the escape clause provided for in the contract - however, the contract also included a provision allowing the teams to leave the city should the escape clause be used! Happily, the city and the two teams came to a new agreement and planning for new Yankees and Mets stadiums kept moving along.
A lot of care has gone into the design of the new Yankee Stadium. Built of Indiana limestone which will circle the entire facility, the park will look quite a bit like the old stadium did prior to 1974 renovations. A replica of the copper frieze which was present on the former stadium will be featured. While the new park will look much like its predecessor on the outside, the interior will feature a number of new amenities for fans, including two new restaurants which will be open all year.
Whether you are a fan of the new Yankee Stadium or fear that a vital piece of Bronx history will be lost, it can be agreed upon that the new home of the Yankees will be one which preserves the character of the old while offering the comfort of the new. The construction of the first Yankee Stadium was a risk taken by the team; one which paid off for the team and the city - and it looks like history just might repeat itself in the Bronx next spring.