The Rays on Wednesday provided the first look inside the planned new $2.3B Tampa ballpark that would open in 2029, and “it is eye-catching,” according to Marc Topkin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. What “stand out most are views of the sky through the transparent fixed roof, with renderings showing fans watching the game while airplanes fly and lightning flashes overhead.” The idea is to “create an indoor/outdoor ballpark experience,” and the Rays feel that they have “done so using state-of-the-art ETFE material and proprietary technology in the first-of-its-kind roof design.” Other planned features include an “intimate design that will put fans closer to the action, some nearer to home plate than the pitchers; two video boards among the largest and most technologically advanced in the industry; club areas adjacent to both bullpens; and a new version of the popular ray tank in the form of a larger and deeper aquarium feature.” The ballpark is “expected to have around 30,000 fixed seats with a total baseball capacity in the low-to mid-30,000s and the flexibility to hold a series of other events.” The primary entrance will be an “acre-sized plaza beyond centerfield.” There also will be a “large bar overlooking centerfield, positioned above a hitting background that retracts when a game is not going on.” The five renderings by Populous are the “first of a planned series to be released in coming weeks showing other aspects of the planned project” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/8).
Rays ballpark renderings (Rays) 
Rays ballpark renderings (Rays) 
Rays ballpark renderings (Rays) 
Rays ballpark renderings (Rays)