New Busch Stadium

Busch Stadium (a.k.a. New Busch Stadium) is the new home for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League. It replaces Busch Memorial Stadium and occupies a portion of that stadium’s former footprint. The stadium opened on April 4, 2006 with an exhibition between the minor league Memphis Redbirds (AAA-Pacific Coast League) and Springfield Cardinals (AA-Texas League), both minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals, which Springfield won 5-3. The official major league opening game occurred on April 10, 2006, as the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4. A commercial area, dubbed Ballpark Village, is being developed adjacent to the stadium over the remainder of the former stadium’s footprint. The city of St. Louis is favored to host the 2009 MLB All-Star Game due to the new stadium and Ballpark Village.

	Capacity		(43,975 seated)
	Opened		April 4th 2006
	Owner		St. Louis Cardinals
	Cost		$346 million
	Architect		HOK Sport

The new stadium has nearly the same dimensions as the old Busch Stadium, offering no major advantage or disadvantage to either the hitter or pitcher, or lefthanders versus righthanders. Many players have commented early that the park plays very fair to everybody.

Since 1995, St. Louis Cardinals team ownership had lobbied for a new ballpark in downtown St. Louis, though the team was unable to acquire funding for the project for several years. In June 2001, the State of Missouri signed a contract with the team, proposing ballpark in downtown St. Louis, but a subsequent funding bill was struck down in May 2002, leaving the saga open. Team owners sought a location near Madison, Illinois, adjacent to Gateway International Raceway, until the city of St. Louis drafted a financing plan for the team to construct the new stadium in downtown St. Louis. The Stadium was financed through private bonds, bank loans, a long-term loan from St. Louis County, and money from the team owners. The development, including the Ballpark Village will cost approximately $646 million with the stadium alone costing $346 million.

New Busch Stadium was designed by HOK Sport and built by Hunt Construction with an estimated cost of $365 million. The stadium was built in phases:

- First, the construction of the south side of the new stadium.
- Second, the wrecking ball demolition of the old stadium, which began November 7, 2005 and lasted until December 8, 2005.
- Third, building the north side of the new stadium (i.e. the left field area).

The field level (16,880 seats), terrace level (9,150), and bleachers (3,661) were completed in time for opening day, with total capacity on that day of 37,962, not including up to 2,751 standing room tickets. Construction was completed in late May increasing the capacity for the May 29, 2006 game vs the Houston Astros. Including all 2,886 standing-room-only tickets for the general public and within the suites and party rooms the stadium’s total capacity 46,861. Natural grass turf was installed in March 2006.

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New Busch Stadium wikipedia entry
St. Louis Cardinals website
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