Safeco Field

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Safeco Field

Location: Seattle, Washington

Arena type: Baseball-specific (has also hosted a wrestling event)

Surface: Grass

Owner(s): Washington-King County Stadium Authority

Tenant(s): Seattle Mariners (1999-)

Broke ground: March 8, 1997

Opened: July 15, 1999

Cost: $517.6 million

Capacity: 47, 116

Dimensions:

Left Field - 331 ft
Left-Center - 390 ft
Center Field - 405 ft
Right-Center - 386 ft
Right Field - 326 ft

All-Star Games:
2001

[edit] History

Safeco Field, sometimes referred to as The Safe or simply Safeco, is the home of the Seattle Mariners baseball club. The stadium has a retractable roof with a train line running under the roof when it is open. The stadium seats 47,116 for baseball. It was the host for the 2001 MLB All-Star Game. Other events have been held at Safeco Field, including the 2001 college football Seattle Bowl and WWE WrestleMania XIX, which set Safeco Field's attendance record of 54,097 in 2003.

[edit] Timeline

March 30, 1994 - King County Executive Gary Locke appoints a 28-member task force to assess the need for, cost, potential location and advisability of public investment in a new Major League Baseball stadium.

January 1995 - Stadium Alternative Task Force recommends public involvement in financing a new MLB stadium.

September 19, 1995 - A proposal to increase the sales tax by .01% in King County to pay for construction of a new ballpark is narrowly defeated by voters.

October 14, 1995 - Special session of the state legislature authorizes a different funding package for a new stadium including a credit against the state sales tax, sale of special stadium license plates, lottery funds, food & beverage tax in King County restaurants and bars and car rental surcharge in King County, and ballpark admissions tax.

October 23, 1995 - King County Council votes to approve funding package and to establish the Washington State Major League Baseball Public Facilities District to own the ballpark and manage the construction project.

January 29, 1996 - Seattle-based NBBJ is chosen by the PFD Board as architect.

April 1996 - Hunt-Kiewit is chosen by the PFD Board as the general contractor for construction of the ballpark.

September 9, 1996 - Ballpark site is selected south of the Kingdome.

March 8, 1997 - 30,000 fans turn out as Ken Griffey Jr. helps officially break ground for the new ballpark.

June 4, 1998 - Naming rights for ballpark sold for $40 million to Seattle-based Safeco Corporation. Ballpark named Safeco Field.

July 15, 1999 - A capacity crowd of 47,000 attends the Inaugural Game against the San Diego Padres. The Padres win 3-2.