Closing Shot: 10 years later in the Bronx

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians christen Yankee Stadium with its first regular-season MLB game on April 16, 2009.getty images

Earl Santee has designed 15 major league ballparks and another 22 in the minors during his lengthy architectural career. But Santee said his design work at the new Yankee Stadium, which turned 10 years old this month, stands out and holds a special place.

“This was really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me personally,” said Santee, who is managing director and senior principal of Populous.

Starting in the early 1990s as an idea, it was really easy to appreciate the Yankee fans after watching so many games in old Yankee Stadium. The whole process really made me love the game, the art of the game and the history of the Yankees.”

Yankee Stadium opened April 2, 2009, at a cost of $1.5 billion, making it the first U.S. sports facility to top the $1 billion mark. Its first regular-season game was on April 16 that year. Across town in Queens, the Mets also christened Citi Field to start the 2009 season. Populous designed that $850 million ballpark as well.

Yankee Stadium sought to pay homage to its historical predecessor in the Bronx while bringing in more premium seats and suites. Designs mirrored some of the historical trademarks for old Yankee Stadium, such as the exterior facade and roof friezes. The Yankees, the New York Daily News, and Sports and the Arts Inc. partnered to display 1,300 historical baseball photographs around the ballpark.

Still, Yankee Stadium has evolved over its first 10 years to keep up with the changing tastes of fans.

Its first test came early on, when the team had to overcome the optics of premium cushioned seats behind home plate being largely empty as VIP fans opted to mingle in lounges and enjoy their food and beverage offerings. It was an early look at the trend among many fans to prefer socializing over being stuck in their seat for the entire game.

Since opening, Yankee Stadium has developed several social areas, with some replacing traditional seats. The ballpark opened with a seating capacity of just over 50,000 and now has 47,309 seats. The ballpark’s social gathering areas now include the Plymouth Rock Kids Clubhouse, Mastercard Batter’s Eye Deck, Bullpen Terraces, Budweiser Party Decks, AT&T Sports Lounge and the Pepsi Food Court. The ballpark debuted a wine bar last season.

Santee said it all goes back to the fact that Yankee Stadium is more than just a place to catch a game given the team’s place in baseball lore.

“People are motivated to attend a game there for different reasons than nearly any other venue in the world,” he said.