It’s common for the New York Yankees to start the year with lofty expectations – a trip to the World Series is almost always a serious goal. So it’s hardly a surprise when the franchise finally began planning a new 51,000-seat, $1.3 billion stadium in the Bronx in early 2005, it set the bar high for an elegant design, innovative approaches, high-end, and fast-track execution.
“From day one in the design process, the Yankees were pretty clear with their vision,” says Bradd Crowley, project manager for Kansas City-based Populous, the stadium’s architect. “They wanted to hearken back to the original 1923 facility. They wanted it to be a majestic look. And they wanted it to be the tradition of the Yankees – 26 World Championships – because they were proud of that. But at the same time on the interior, they wanted it to feel a whole lot different.”