Space Coast Stadium

Space Coast Stadium
Location 5800 Stadium Parkway
Viera, FL 32940
Coordinates 28°15′25″N 80°44′22″W / 28.25694°N 80.73944°W / 28.25694; -80.73944Coordinates: 28°15′25″N 80°44′22″W / 28.25694°N 80.73944°W / 28.25694; -80.73944
Owner Brevard County
Operator Brevard County
Capacity 8,100
Field size Left Field: 340 ft (104 m)
Center Field: 404 ft (123 m)
Right Field: 340 ft (104 m)
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground April 29, 1993[1]
Opened March 2, 1994[2]
Construction cost US$6.2 million
($9.92 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect DLR Group
General contractor Miorelli Construction, Inc.[4]
Tenants
Brevard County Manatees (FSL) (1994–2016)
Florida Marlins (MLB) (spring training) (1994–2002)
Montreal Expos (MLB) (spring training) (2003–2004)
Washington Nationals (MLB) (spring training) (2005–2016)
GCL Nationals (GCL) (2005–2016)

Space Coast Stadium is a baseball stadium that was completed before the 1994 season as part of a plan to bring spring training for the (then new) Florida Marlins to Viera, Florida.

In 2002, as part of an agreement involving the sale of the Montreal Expos by Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins swapped training sites with the Expos, who had been training in Jupiter, Florida. The Expos held two seasons of training at Space Coast in 2003 and 2004 before their reformation as the Washington Nationals, who have conducted training there since their inaugural season in 2005.

It is also the home of the Brevard County Manatees, a minor league baseball franchise. Occasionally, the Gulf Coast League Nationals also play their home games in this park. The Nationals will leave Space Coast Stadium in 2016 to join the Houston Astros in West Palm Beach for the new Ballpark of The Palm Beaches.

History

President George W. Bush held one of his final campaign rallies for the 2004 Presidential Election at the stadium, on Saturday October 23, 2004.

In 2008 the Florida State League All Star Game returned to Space Coast Stadium for the first time in 12 years, with the West Division prevailing over the East Division with a score of 9-3.

The Nationals have held spring training at the park since 2005. They have played from seven to fifteen games per season in the stadium. Game attendance has averaged from 3,433 in 2011, to 4,690 in 2010.[5] The Nationals have contracted to make annual $765,000 stadium-construction bond payments through March 2013.

Since 1997 the county has spent $7.8 million on capital improvements; $2.8 million in 2006-7.[6]

The 33.4 acres (13.5 ha) stadium site was evaluated by the county at $26.5 million.[6]

Operations

About $5 million worth of improvements have been made to the stadium from 2005–2010. This was funded by Brevard County's tourist tax.[7]

Space Coast Stadium
Taken from Left Field Near the Visitor Bullpen

References

  1. ↑ Calkins, Geoff (April 2, 1994). "Having a Blast at Space Coast Marlins' New Spring Stadium Seemed to Have Something for Everyone". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  2. ↑ Kaegel, Dick (March 5, 1994). "Royals Become Park's First Loser Marlins Pound Appier in Inaugural Game for Space Coast Stadium". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  3. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. ↑ Edes, Gordon (January 11, 1995). "Spring Park Called Safe Despite Rumors". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  5. ↑ DeCotis, Mark (March 13, 2011). "Baseball's Uncertain Future". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 1A.
  6. 1 2 Neale, Rick (March 25, 2011). "Manager's Mission: Keep Nats in Viera". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 1A.
  7. ↑ Neale, Rick (March 31, 2010). "Nats Will Tour Lee County Ballpark". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 1A.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Space Coast Stadium.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/10/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.