Blue Wahoos Stadium
Blue Wahoos Stadium, located in the Community Maritime Park, is a multi-use park in Pensacola, Florida, that includes a stadium, commercial buildings, a waterfront public park and amphitheater. The mixed use stadium holds 5,038 people and can be used for a number of events year-round, including baseball, soccer, football, festivals, graduations, and similar events. The multi-use stadium was originally designed to be the home field of the Pensacola Pelicans; it hosts the Miami Marlins Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Southern League. The stadium is situated facing the Pensacola Bay. The playing surface is titled "Admiral Jack Fetterman Field", honoring the U.S. Navy three-star vice admiral, who retired in Pensacola and became a prominent civic leader. Along with Vince Whibbs Sr., the two were influential in getting the Community Maritime Park project approved by voters.
History
On April 28, 2009, the Pensacola City Council gave final approval for the ballpark to be built.The entire project cost $54 million and was completed in time for the Blue Wahoos' inaugural home opener on April 5, 2012. Building the ballpark cost $23,845,045.23.
Stadium description
Blue Wahoos Stadium is a, 5,038 seat multi-use venue. Construction includes precast concrete bowl seating, steel framed elevated slabs, post-tensioned slabs-on-grade, and an auger cast pile foundation with concrete grade beams and pile caps. This project was custom designed to meet the needs for the use by a minor league baseball team as well as for accommodating other sporting and festival type events. The structure and slab-on-grade was pile supported due to poor soil conditions and concern over scour from hurricanes.During steel fabrication and foundation construction, a Double-A baseball team was acquired. This acquisition required enhancements to the stadium. This was a challenge for the design team who worked diligently to adjust the structure while using newly constructed elements within the enhancements, while providing subcontractors information needed to keep construction moving forward without incurring additional mobilization fees.