Red Bull Park
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This article or section is about a planned or proposed stadium. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the stadium approaches. |
| Red Bull Park | |
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| Location | Harrison, New Jersey |
| Broke ground | September 19, 2006 |
| Opened | Summer-Autumn 2009 (expected) |
| Owner | Red Bull GmbH |
| Operator | Red Bull GmbH |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $180-200 million USD (estimate) [1] |
| Architect | Rossetti architects |
| Tenants | Red Bull New York (MLS) (starting in 2009) |
| Capacity | 25,189[2] (2009) |
Red Bull Park is a soccer stadium under construction that will be the home of Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer. Located in Harrison, New Jersey, it was slated to be completed in time for the 2008 MLS season, but due to various delays in construction that date is now set for late 2009. The soccer-specific stadium (SSS) is expected to have a capacity of about 25,000 or more. It will feature a full wavy, translucent European-style roof that will cover all of the seats in the stadium but not the pitch. The stadium will sit alongside the Passaic River with a view of the Newark, New Jersey, skyline. The stadium will be accessible via public transportation at the PATH train stop at Harrison.
The construction project has been beset with delays. The original plan, announced on July 1, 2004, was to move the MetroStars from their current home at Giants Stadium by the beginning of the 2006 season. Negotiations between MLS and the state of New Jersey dragged on until an agreement was announced on August 5, 2005, for the MetroStars to begin playing there in the 2007 season. Concerns about environmental clean-up at the site forced another delay. Because of delays in the removal of industrial waste at the stadium site, Red Bull New York announced that Red Bull Park might be delayed to the 2009 MLS season[3].
Red Bull New York managing director Marc de Grandpre said that during excavation of the grounds, construction crews came across "some industrial waste and multiple foundations which have made the clean-up of the site take longer than expected."
Though the groundbreaking was on September 19, 2006, construction was set for November 2007. That was delayed by one month when Red Bull bought out the the stadium share owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).
As part of its purchase of the MetroStars club, Red Bull bought stadium naming rights, and the facility was named Red Bull Park.
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[edit] Red Bull Buyout and New Design
Red Bull bought out AEG's $100 million share of Red Bull Park, an aftereffect of lasting disagreements between the two corporations regarding their plans for the facility. Their differences prompted a significant delay in the early stages of the stadium's construction. After the naming rights of the soccer team were acquired, Red Bull instituted number of changes to the stadium's original design, which sparked tension between the Austrian-based energy drink company and Anschutz. Red Bull opted out of AEG's plan to construct a stage in the stadium for performances, one that would have increased profit margins for the group.[4][5] Construction of Red Bull Park began in late December 2007 with an undetermined 2009 completion date. The updated design was completeted by Rossetti architects from Los Angeles and will be built by New Jersey-based Hunter Roberts Construction Group, LLC. The new design features a roof extending just past the field's touchlines with 60 feet of the roof being transparent to allow for natural light. The first row of seating is to be approximately 21 feet from the touchlines. The design is on par with those of soccer stadiums around the world. [6] [7]. The stadium will look very similar to the Hypo-Arena in Klagenfurt, Austria in appearance.
[edit] Construction
Construction has since commenced on Red Bull Park on January 3, 2008. Earth moving vehicles and piledrivers have already started work. There are to be 3,000 timber piles driven into the ground to support the new stadium. On January 11, 2008, Erik Stover was announced the GM of Red Bull Park during construction and then on after. He has served as GM of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego since 2005.[8] On February 20, 2008, a $28-30 million (Canadian) contract was announced with Structal-Heavy Steel Construction to assist in the fabrication and construction of steel components. Fabrication will occur offsite in the second quarter of 2008, and erection will begin in June, 2008.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Red Bulls: MacDonald strives to fulfill a town's tradition by The Star Ledger
- ^ New York Red Bulls: News: Article
- ^ Stadium Delay via bigapplesoccer.com
- ^ Red Bull negotiating to buy out Red Bull Park from AEG article via Big Apple Soccer
- ^ http://redbull.newyork.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20071116&content_id=129632&vkey=news_rbn&fext=.jsp&team=t107 N.Y. now full owners of new park
- ^ Red Bulls reveal updated design of Red Bull Park, MLS Press Release Nov. 29, 2007
- ^ Digging in the Dirt in Harrison, N.J., NY Times Jan. 4, 2008
- ^ Park Boss Stover to be Red Bull Park GM
- ^ Structal secures a CAN$30 M contract for the construction of Red Bull Park, the new home of the New York Red Bulls
- September 19, 2006 Ground Breaking Press Release
- Sale of Revenue Bonds Allows Managing Partners AEG to Proceed With Construction
- Game Face Places Premium Sales Manager with AEG New York—Red Bull Park
- Across the Hudson: Red Bull Park by Curbed.com
- The Stadium Details, Report: $220M park 'is different' by Big Apple Soccer
- New York Times article on original announcement
- Red Bulls stadium to rise at last
[edit] External links
- Red Bull Park Official Website
- Red Bull New York Official Website
- Rossetti Architects Official Website
- Red Bull Park Construction Photos 1/15/08
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