Seeing it in its unfinished state, not good. I am hoping when it is all complete it will come together. And while I am glad they are able to bring in more advertising revenue, I didn't think it would come in the form of big giant out of place boxes. Is this another design build...lol. The best rendering we had was done by dave68[/member]. Let's see what they do over the next 7 days...

 

I hope you're right but from the looks of things in these pictures it will take a bible-sized miracle to bring this all together in 7 days...

I was talking to a colleague yesterday who knows a little about the inner decision making. While I can't speak to the design, the real purpose of these boxes  is to take about 7,000 seats in the stadium offline, which impacts revenue sharing (their cut is partly determined by the percentage of attendance vs. total available seats). Removing the total available seating skews that formula in the Indian's favor.

 

This may have been discussed previously, but it was the first I was aware of it.

Yeah, that is the reason for the seat removal, the empty seats were not helping the bottom line of the organization. 

 

I think the question of the boxes is more, why are they raised instead of lowered? My memory tells me that this is because the concrete it is built on is like a big staircase, if you look from below when you're out at the concession stands, you see that above you.  Flattening/lowering that level instead of raising it all to the height of the furthest back part would require major construction work.

It will all be okay, everyone calm down.  The only ones who will be upset are the architects and designers.  Everyone else will either think its okay or might actually be watching the game, and not the colors of the ball park.

 

Besides, if Sports Illustrated is correct, none of it will matter if the team is as good as they say!

The new stadium is atrocious! No way to spin this one...they ruined the ballpark.  Look at Camden Yards and see if the turned their beautiful park into a Disney World with huge poxes in the upper deck?

^oh geez settle down. They didn't ruin anything. A.) they are not done. B.) while they may not meet expectations, it's still better than the previous version! Where there were thousands of empty green seats. It's fine

I actually think empty seats are better than this.

Yeah, I always liked the old stadium too!  If the 94 and 95 Indians could have played there, they would have had 80,000 every night, just like '48.

Yeah, I always liked the old stadium too!  If the 94 and 95 Indians could have played there, they would have had 80,000 every night, just like '48.

 

The average attendance for the '48 season was actually only 33,598.... (and that was the highest average attendance the Indians ever had while playing at Municipal Stadium).

I've always considered the light poles (based off the smoke stacks of the steel mills) the best in the league, but that Key sign is very visually disruptive.

Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say every night, but many a night.  The total was double the avg. league attendance that year.

Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say every night, but many a night.  The total was double the avg. league attendance that year.

 

I just pointed it out because I was surprised to see that it was that low. I had thought it would have hovered in the 50k's or so at least. Here's the source: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/cleiatte.shtml. It's interesting to look through. Anyways, sorry taking things off topic.

 

Between getting locked out of getting home opener tickets (for the first time ever), and the lackluster upper deck changes and Key Bank signage, I'm feeling less excited about opening day than usual. I know that's not exactly rational...

Here is a photo of the terraces and a great example on how they could have lightened the look by making these closed railings open rails.  Also one can plainly see that if you aren't standing directly against the rail there is no way you can see the field.  I would love the architects to explain this design dilemma

the closer the shot, the cheaper these look

the closer the shot, the cheaper these look

 

Just plain awful.

Nice skyline view though

Minor league.

Wow, that's bad. They look more like shipping containers up close. Pretty low class.

 

I'm afraid to see how many people get hurt from falling into those sharp metal corners.

Minor league.

 

The Mud Hens or Clippers would never do this.

It will be interesting  for the publicity spin from The Indians on this disaster. I encourage all to let the Indians organization of your thoughts.  They should be held accountable for this outcome and maybe enough bad publicly will make them reconsider what they have done to absolutely ruin one of the best ballparks in the league.

 

Btw. If I were watching a game outside of Cleveland and saw this I would say The Indians couldn't sell enough tickets so they tried to hide the fact they couldn't sell enough seats. So instead they covered them with ugly boxes

 

With the removal of the seats from center field and  the center right field second level reduction, couldn't they have left some of the upper deck sets in place?  How many were actually removed from the lower deck areas?

 

Lastly has anyone wondered why "The Corner" brick color is red and the ballpark brick has been beige in tone. Why go with a completely different color scheme? Nothing of this design works for me. I swear these architects and designers never stepped foot into Progressive Field to understand the aesthetics.

They ruined the ball park. 

maybe...just maybe it would look better when people are there.  But for crying out loud, I hope it can be fixed

 

maybe...just maybe it would look better when people are there.  But for crying out loud, I hope it can be fixed

 

 

I honesty don't know what would make people even want to go up there. This was talked about as a space for groups, and that made sense looking at the renderings as it was supposed to be three levels of open area. Now we have a few dozen segmented viewing boxes. How will these serve any purpose?

Here is what I would propose they should do to remedy the terrace boxes.

1. remove the solid rails and replace with glass rail systems or consistent tubular steel that meet OSHA codes hence lowering the height of each terrace visually

2. remove the metal facades and replace with yellow brick matching he existing architecture. This goes for "The Corner" brick as well. Horrible choice to introduce red brick

3.  no signage on the second or third level terraces. Signage not necessary.

4. Continue the brick motif on all upper levels around the ballpark and add pennants to those facades or continue the jersey numbers.

 

Lastly. Wouldn't it have been better to just add the top tier of the terraces around the entire top deck instead of obliterating right field?  I am sure the number of seats removed would have been the same and then these "boxes" would have disappeared into he background.  Oh well.  Horrible planning

 

Sorry to my fellow urbanohioers  for the many posts I have placed in this forum.

Or just railings consistant with the rest of the ballpark, tubular steel painted green

Sorry to my fellow urbanohioers  for the many posts I have placed in this forum.

 

No need to apologize! When your UO odometer rolls past 27,500, give me a call. :)

^^^And yet they were able to use the glass railing by the bullpen. Using those in right field would have made a huge difference.

Latest progress report on the right field upper deck containers:

 

Where is the dislike button?

The latest image makes me so mad at what they have done.

I think the brutal winter caused many delays, which prompted them to make value engineering changes in order to finish before the season starts.  What a f-ing disaster that is though!  Total butcher job.  The guards are metal siding with sheet metal coping at the tops?  At a Major League Stadium?  Instead of looking like somebody thought about this upper deck renovation, it looks like they tried to accomplish a project with champagne taste on a sparkling grape juice budget.  Ok I'm done for now until I see a game there first hand but so disappointing!

Is there any possibility that this is temporary and after baseball season, they will go back and finish. The steel siding and railings can be easily removed next year. I just can't believe the city planning commission approved this. It is so different from the approved design renderings.  :-(

Is there any possibility that this is temporary and after baseball season, they will go back and finish. The steel siding and railings can be easily removed next year. I just can't believe the city planning commission approved this. It is so different from the approved design renderings.  :-(

 

I doubt they are thinking to fix.  Here is a statement given on cbs local radio April 3 :Indians On Stadium Renovations:

 

 

Curtis Danburg, Indians Senior Director of Communications, “Renderings Are Renderings, Nothing Has Changed From What We Set Out To Do.”

 

They know they have a difficult job selling the aesthetic and their spin is the renderings were just that.

I hope Litt writes about this hack job of a project.

oh no they junkified and uglified the best ballpark in mlb with this. disgraceful. at least its all easy enough to take down and change next season.

oh no they junkified and uglified the best ballpark in mlb with this. disgraceful. at least its all easy enough to take down and change next season.

 

I love Progressive Field as much as the next guy, but it's definitely not the best park in MLB.

I can believe the City approved this!  This compares to that dice thing Gilbert wanted to put up across from the casino.  It's really that bad!

oh no they junkified and uglified the best ballpark in mlb with this. disgraceful. at least its all easy enough to take down and change next season.

 

I love Progressive Field as much as the next guy, but it's definitely not the best park in MLB.

 

 

oh yeah? well i like mama's of corona aka leo's latticini heros as much as the next guy, but i'm not going to rate citifield as a better ballpark because of sandwiches! :wink:

Indians legend Mel Harder brought to you by McPc

 

Or even worse McPc brought to you by Mel Harder

 

I'm just going to go ahead and pile on.  This is simply cheap and embarrassing.  Look at what Colorado did and hit CTRL C, CTRL V.

I'm just going to go ahead and pile on.  This is simply cheap and embarrassing.  Look at what Colorado did and hit CTRL C, CTRL V.

 

But first don't forget to hit CTRL Z

While we've all been piling on the Indians for totally botching the upper deck portion of the renovations (and rightfully so), I do think they did a great job with every thing else (for the most part).

 

Here are some updated pictures of the right field area: http://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/2015/04/06/photo-gallery-progressive-fields-new-right-field-district/?partnerId=as_cle_20150406_43315646

 

Some minor nitpicky things though: using "Gordon Square" as the name of the neighborhood and having Melt as their representative vendor for the Cleveland Heights section (I know there's a Melt in CH, but I don't really associate the two)...not to mention that Cleveland Heights isn't a "neighborhood".

The other renovations can't remotely offset that upper deck.  Wow!

While we've all been piling on the Indians for totally botching the upper deck portion of the renovations (and rightfully so), I do think they did a great job with every thing else (for the most part).

 

Here are some updated pictures of the right field area: http://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/2015/04/06/photo-gallery-progressive-fields-new-right-field-district/?partnerId=as_cle_20150406_43315646

 

Some minor nitpicky things though: using "Gordon Square" as the name of the neighborhood and having Melt as their representative vendor for the Cleveland Heights section (I know there's a Melt in CH, but I don't really associate the two)...not to mention that Cleveland Heights isn't a "neighborhood".

 

Im ok with Gordon Square.  ROlls off the tongue sweeter and Sweet Moses technically is in Gordon Square.  Residents have been pushing to have Detroit Shoreway renamed to Gordon Square for a couple years...its been close to happening too

^ As a history buff, I'm usually a traditionalist when it comes to dropping neighborhood names, but I agree that Gordon Square sounds a lot better than Detroit-Shoreway. I'd be okay with that change.

Indians are retweeting positive feedback by persons who like the renovations. To each their own, but it sounds the Indians are getting a bit defensive.

Indians are retweeting positive feedback by persons who like the renovations. To each their own, but it sounds the Indians are getting a bit defensive.

 

None of the retweets were specifically talking about the upper deck though. In fact, I've yet to see any positive feedback regarding that section anywhere online or on social media.

 

Watch this video and you will see what my concerns are and will remain regarding the design of the terrace boxes.

 

1. no access for ADA

2. horrible sight line issues. 

 

Whomever took this video it is clear you cannot see the entire playing field. I am sure it worsens the further back you stand behind the enclosed rails

Okay folks, there is now a new thread in the Architecture section to continue the ADA discussion. http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,29985.msg751316/boardseen.html#new

 

Please keep this thread on-topic and as always *think* before you post - thank you!

The Terrace boxes don't look great in the pictures, but I guess I'll reserve judgement until I'm at a game. The concept of the terraces is OK with me, but I wish they would have put a bit more time into designing them.

 

I think it would be unfortunate if they came to overshadow the rest of the renovation. From the pictures I've seen, the bar looks fantastic, and the concessions options have seen a huge upgrade. Area for kids looks to be expanded also. (For the record, all I need is a seat and a beer and I'm happy, but hopefully this appeals to the casual fans...)

 

I know this forum has an architecture lean, but economically speaking the seats affected by the boxes were used for no more than 2-3 games last year, and no more than 2-3 games the year before, etc, etc. The reality is that unless the Browns suddenly pack up and leave town again, the 1990's-level attendance is never coming back, and a ballpark that has thousands of unused seats 362 nights/year is not going to help the Tribe. The terraces will take some getting used to (and hopefully they are upgraded over time), but if the choice is that or a tarp, I'll take the boxes.