First Horizon Park - Home of the Nashville Sounds

[nashmoney]

Nice article on the new baseball stadium

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/2015/04/20/first-tennessee-park-nashville-sounds/

 

Also,

 

Germantown businesses see benefit from Nashville Sounds ballpark

 

http://wkrn.com/2015/04/20/germantown-businesses-see-benefit-from-nashville-sounds-ballpark/

Edited April 21, 2015 by nashmoney

[erdichia]

So... when do we get to mark this one as completed? 

[CenterHill]

I was by FTP yesterday. Still lots of workers on site inside the park.

[markhollin]

Free open house to the public for the First Tennessee Ballpark this Saturday, May 2 from 1-4 PM. Great way to see a lot of details like clubhouses, kitchens, press box, etc. not normally available for viewing...

http://www.tennessean.com/story/life/shopping/ms-cheap/2015/04/29/nashville-sounds-make-family-fun-day-pitch/26537265/

[volsfanwill]

After my second visit tonight I really looked around.  I love it! 

And they did leave room for expansion.  When the A's or Ray's move here in9 years.  There is room for upper deck expansion down both baselines.  The only issue would be behind home plate.  That would have to be verticle.  But it can be done without a doubt. And I want it to be there.  I am so glad they built it at that location. 

[Will]

It is indeed a nice facility. It seems like a small thing but the cupholders on the seats are actually really cool. And the view of the moon rising over downtown is hard to beat.

[Vrtigo]

Still workers onsite this morning... Apparently lots of finishing touches to complete.

 

My company outing is this weekend, so I'm looking forward to finally seeing it for myself!

[MidTenn1]

After my second visit tonight I really looked around.  I love it! 

And they did leave room for expansion.  When the A's or Ray's move here in9 years.  There is room for upper deck expansion down both baselines.  The only issue would be behind home plate.  That would have to be verticle.  But it can be done without a doubt. And I want it to be there.  I am so glad they built it at that location. 

 

It would be awesome if they could expand, but I think a relocating club would want a new park built from scratch. You could expand something like this...

 

 

Maybe it was designed to accommodate future expansion and there is a sketch for this buried deep somewhere in the Populous (Architects) basement, but it is hard to envision creating a major league facility out of what is there now. We have 8,000 permanent seats and you would want at least 36,000+.

 

I hope the City and Architects had future expansion in mind. It would make sense that they 'accidentally' dropped a plan showing an expanded stadium in the Oakland A's offices when they discussed making the team an affiliate, and that is what all parties have in mind someday. Pure fantasy, I know. The current sounds owners would not encourage any plans like that...unless they were future part owners?

 

Yeah, I know...I'm drifting way out into la la land here. But, I'm like the nerd who has a crush on the Prom Queen...it may never happen, but I'll never give it up.

 

 

 

(BTW, I married better than the prom queen).

[markhollin]

It would be awesome if they could expand, but I think a relocating club would want a new park built from scratch. You could expand something like this...

 

 

Maybe it was designed to accommodate future expansion and there is a sketch for this buried deep somewhere in the Populous (Architects) basement, but it is hard to envision creating a major league facility out of what is there now. We have 8,000 permanent seats and you would want at least 36,000+.

 

I hope the City and Architects had future expansion in mind. It would make sense that they 'accidentally' dropped a plan showing an expanded stadium in the Oakland A's offices when they discussed making the team an affiliate, and that is what all parties have in mind someday. Pure fantasy, I know. The current sounds owners would not encourage any plans like that...unless they were future part owners?

 

Yeah, I know...I'm drifting way out into la la land here. But, I'm like the nerd who has a crush on the Prom Queen...it may never happen, but I'll never give it up.

 

 

 

(BTW, I married better than the prom queen).

The footprint is just too small for expansion.  The lower deck would need to be much deeper (at least 15 more rows of seats). In order to build an upper deck behind home plate, they would need to close Jackson Street as well as tear down portions of the brand new apartment building that is underway right now.  Even more so along the third base line where the Sounds ownership will begin construction on their 5 story apartment complex overlooking the park in a few months.  There would also be a massive shortage of parking unless many other new structures on the drawing board or currently being built were to be demolished. 

When I saw the initial plans, I had hoped they would have a bigger footprint with that sort of expansion in mind…but it is not a workable puzzle at this point.  

I had posted last year about where a major league park COULD be built, as I agree that within the next decade Nashville will eventually be very high on the list for possible relocation of the Rays or A's, or a possible expansion team. The sites are quickly disappearing with all of the massive development downtown. If I can locate that post, I will repost it on this thread.   

[nashvillwill]

The old Yankee Stadium was a fascinating place to see up close. What was originally a small park on a corner lot, was expanded over the years. The Bronx had grown up around it, the only expansion option was to go vertical over the surrounding streets. The one time I visited we "pregamed" on the street outside the park which had the grandstands and subway tracks above the street and buildings. It made for a dark, narrow, but very lively street. It was almost like stepping back into time. It was such a cool place to visit and see.

Now, that will never ever happen again in any American city, but it sure is a neat thing to imagine. It kinda makes you wonder, "why not?".

Edited May 8, 2015 by nashvillwill

[titanhog]

Could a new stadium sit where PSC is located?

[markhollin]

The basic challenge of the PSC site is that if you wanted to have a beautiful panorama view of the the skyline across the river, you would need to have home plate aligned directly into the setting sun behind the pitcher's mound---and that is a no-no in baseball stadium configurations. If you had the stadium angled differently, then you would either see the football stadium to the north (not such a stellar view), or the freeway to the east or south, or Rutledge hill to the southwest.  And none of those are very compelling.  

 

My most controversial thought would be to build a new retractable-roof football stadium on the PSC site (that would definitely put Nashville in the running to secure some Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, more mega-concert tours year-round). Then tear down LP Field and build a new major league baseball stadium in its place.  This could face directly across the river (slightly to the southwest), and the sunset would be more to the northwest in the summer months.  It would have a full panorama of a very dynamic skyline in ten years, and would only be rivaled by PNC Park in Pittsburgh in that regard.  

I know, I know….this would take some HUGE convincing of the Metro Council and general populace to spend $1 billion + for such things…but one can dream, can't  I?   ; )

[nashvillwill]

Could a new stadium sit where PSC is located?

Sure. Why not?

But here is the problem with PSC and baseball. Way back when they first release the plans for the new ballpark, the first thing that jumped out at me was the orientation. It's wrong. Traditional rules of baseball say that a field should be oriented towards the north-east. Therefore, a batter has the sun behind him. And in the case of a major league park with grandstands, the seating areas provide sun shade for the outfielders.

When Dean & Co designed First TN park, they wanted to showcase the views of downtown, so they have the batter facing south. It's off axis, but it's marginally acceptable. A right handed batter will be turned towards the setting sun, but he will be looking just left of it. During day games, he will be looking towards the sun, but it will be pretty high in the sky.

Now, take the PSC site (or anywhere on the east bank). I'm afraid that again, the powers that be would ignore the rules of baseball park design and orient towards the skyline, which is due west. If that happens, then a batter will be looking for pitches DIRECTLY INTO the setting sun. This is unacceptable.

It could be easily fixed by orienting the park the correct direction, but we would lose the skyline views.

[samsonh]

Nashville is still too small to support a decent MLB team. MLB dynamics are different than the other major sports.

[UTgrad09]

Nashville is still too small to support a decent MLB team. MLB dynamics are different than the other major sports.

This. No less than 15 years away.

[Vrtigo]

At that point, LP field will be over 30 years old--past the average lifespan of an NFL stadium. I see that as quite possible, actually.

 

Above all, I hope by then the city has finally found some way to bribe PSC into moving upstream.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Vrtigo

[Lexy]

Hey, if we wait long enough, maybe the Braves will keep moving away from the core of Atlanta and will eventually end up in Murfreesboro?

[rookzie]

At that point, LP field will be over 30 years old--past the average lifespan of an NFL stadium. I see that as quite possible, actually.

 

Above all, I hope by then the city has finally found some way to bribe PSC into moving upstream.

 

Of course, it's well recognized that this has to come with a phat dangling carrot, and that property also is an EPA Superfund site.for the eventual handling of leached contaminants (making it double trouble)

-==-

[MetroTN]

Hey, if we wait long enough, maybe the Braves will keep moving away from the core of Atlanta and will eventually end up in Murfreesboro?

 

Hilarious!   

[Vrtigo]

I'm a bit late in posting this, but here's a good shot from my recent company outing to the ballpark:

 

 

Full Resolution

[MetroTN]

I'm going to a game this Saturday. How early should I get there? I havent been to a baseball game in years.

[nashvillwill]

I'm going to a game this Saturday. How early should I get there? I havent been to a baseball game in years.

It's really up to you. If you want to see every pitch, I would be there an hour early. That will give you time to tour the place, and be in your seat in time for opening festivities.

If you're not so concerned about the game, just get there 10-15 before game time. That way, you can still see the anthem and tour the place at your leisure.

Either way. Take some time to walk around. It's a nice ballpark.

[Nathan_in_DC]

I may be heading to a game Friday or Saturday. Really excited!

[MetroTN]

It's really up to you. If you want to see every pitch, I would be there an hour early. That will give you time to tour the place, and be in your seat in time for opening festivities.

If you're not so concerned about the game, just get there 10-15 before game time. That way, you can still see the anthem and tour the place at your leisure.

Either way. Take some time to walk around. It's a nice ballpark.

 

Thanks. Will def. need time to get beer and a snack beforehand. 

[MetroTN]

The Sounds game was the most fun I've had in Nashville since moving here.

Edited May 31, 2015 by MetroTN