Pensacola Bayfront Stadium

Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park Stadium
Community Maritime Park

2012 photo of the Stadium
Full name Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park Stadium
Location 449 West Main Street
Pensacola, FL 32502
Coordinates 30°24′15″N 87°13′11″W / 30.404295°N 87.219662°WCoordinates: 30°24′15″N 87°13′11″W / 30.404295°N 87.219662°W
Owner Community Maritime Park Associates
Operator Community Maritime Park Associates
Capacity 5,038[1]
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground September 17, 2009[2]
Opened April 5, 2012
Construction cost $23,845,045.23[3]
($24.5 million in 2015 dollars[4])
Architect Populous[3]
Bullock Tice Associates[3]
SMB Architecture[3]
Project manager Hatch Mott MacDonald/Morette[5]
Structural engineer Joe DeReuil Associates, LLC.[6]
Services engineer Schmidt Consulting Engineers[6]
General contractor Magi Construction JV[3]
Main contractors Southeastern Construction Inc.[3]
Tenants
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (SL)

Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park is a multi-use park in Pensacola, Florida that includes a stadium, commercial buildings, a waterfront public park and amphitheater. The mixed use stadium holds 5,038 people and can be used for a number of events year-round, including baseball, soccer, football, festivals, graduations, and similar events. The multi-use stadium was originally designed to be the home field of the Pensacola Pelicans; it hosts the Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The stadium is situated facing the Pensacola Bay.

History

On April 28, 2009, the Pensacola City Council gave final approval for the ballpark to be built.[7]

The entire project cost $54 million and was completed in time for the Blue Wahoos' inaugural home opener on April 5, 2012. Building the ballpark cost $23,845,045.23.[3]

Community Maritime Park Stadium Description

The Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park Stadium is a 117,000 square feet (10,900 m2), 5,038 seat multi-use stadium. Construction includes precast concrete bowl seating, steel framed elevated slabs, post-tensioned slabs-on-grade, and an auger cast pile foundation with concrete grade beams and pile caps. This project was custom designed to meet the needs for the use by a minor league baseball team as well as for accommodating other sporting and festival type events. The structure and slab-on-grade was pile supported due to poor soil conditions and concern over scour from hurricanes.

During steel fabrication and foundation construction, an AA baseball team was acquired. This acquisition required enhancements to the stadium. This was a challenge for the design team who worked diligently to adjust the structure while using newly constructed elements within the enhancements, while providing subcontractors information needed to keep construction moving forward without incurring additional mobilization fees.[8]

Randall K. and Martha A. Hunter Amphitheater Description

The amphitheater has architecturally exposed steel trusses and frames supporting curved steel roof purlins with a heavy timber, tongue-and-groove roof deck. The steel trusses and frames are designed and shaped to resemble the fronds of a palm tree. The steel structure is supported on concrete piers that are supported on a large concrete pile cap that rests on auger-cast-in-place piles. The concrete piers also support the main stage floor. The stage floor is a flat plate, 8 inches (200 mm) thick post-tensioned concrete slab.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Pillon, Dennis (April 20, 2012). "Pensacola's Class AA Baseball Fever Still Going Strong". Press-Register (Mobile). Retrieved May 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Maritime Park - Ground Breaking Ceremony". City of Pensacola. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Cost of Building the Maritime Park". Pensacola News Journal. July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  4. ↑ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Vince Whibbs, Sr. Community Maritime Park". City of Pensacola. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Pensacola Updates". SkyscraperPage. p. 12. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ Bland, Thyrie (April 24, 2009). "Council Sparks Park". Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Communicty Maritime Park Stadium". Joe DeReuil Associates, LLC. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hunter Amphitheater". Joe DeReuil Associates, LLC. Retrieved February 23, 2014.

External links