Southwest University Park Honored as Ballpark Digest’s Best New Ballpark of the Year

“We are very proud of this award and thank Ballpark Digest for the acknowledgement,” said Chihuahuas President Alan Ledford. “Ultimately, this award reflects on the effort and commitment of an amazingly talented team of people who made Southwest University Park a reality – our architects from Populous, and our team of design consultants; our contractor; the construction team from the City of El Paso; and, of course, our ownership which provided the vision and commitment to achieve excellence and improve the quality of life in our community.  Finally, a very special thank you goes out to the thousands of Chihuahuas fans that created the incredible environment for each and every game at Southwest University Park.”

The architecture firm, Populous, designed the downtown El Paso ballpark on a little less than six acres of land. Populous also designed Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres (the Chihuahuas Major League Affiliate), Marlins Park in Miami (2012), Target Field in Minneapolis (2010), and Yankee Stadium in 2009, to name a few.

“It’s an honor to have Southwest University Park named Ballpark of the year. As a design team, it’s been a joy to see what an immediate impact the ballpark has had on the city and to see the community embrace the experience of downtown baseball,” said David Bower, Principal at Populous. “One of the ballpark’s most interesting features is that it is situated on perhaps the tightest site in Minor League Baseball, allowing us to create an urban, uniquely asymmetrical park that is authentically El Paso. We feel a tremendous sense of pride in the ballpark and know that it will be a spot where Minor League Baseball flourishes for decades to come.”

Southwest University Park is situated in downtown El Paso, a challenging location mandating a vertical ballpark design – a design that also yielded great views of the Franklin Mountains and downtown El Paso. The asymmetric design lent itself well to the creation of “neighborhoods” within the ballpark: discrete areas of seating designed to foster a sense of community amongst fans and to provide different and unique experiences.

Two buildings, the Santa Fe Pavilion and Big Dog House, adorn right field with hospitality areas for parties and individuals alike. The ballpark also features commissioned public artwork that is displayed on both the exterior and interior of the venue. With its stained glass clock tower, porcelain hand-painted murals, and “Knot-Hole Fence” the ballpark gives visitors more than just baseball, but an education of El Paso’s long history.  Southwest University Park incorporates El Paso’s rich history with its unique design.  Situated in the heart of downtown, the red brick exterior resembles the nearby Union Depot and includes a box car-like façade and archways along the concourse.

The asymmetric design lent itself well to the creation of “neighborhoods” within the ballpark: discrete areas of seating designed to foster a sense of community amongst fans and to provide different and unique experiences.

“At the end of the day, what matters is what the fans think of the ballpark,” Reichard said. “The answer is clear: the Chihuahuas sold out nearly 75 percent of its games – 48 of 67 – and ended up attracting 548,435 fans for the season. The Chihuahuas were a huge hit in El Paso, and Southwest University Park was at the core of that success.”

ABOUT THE BALLPARK DIGEST AWARDS

Each year Ballpark Digest honors noteworthy accomplishments in the baseball world, whether it be Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, independent baseball, summer-collegiate baseball or college baseball. Team officials and readers are asked to submit nominations for awards in specific categories; Ballpark Digest editors then go though the submissions (numbering some 400 pages of documentation in 2014), consulting with industry leaders before a final decision. This is the seventh season for the Ballpark Digest Awards. A complete listing of Ballpark Digest Awards can be found at www.ballparkdigest.com/awards.

ABOUT POPULOUS

At Populous, we believe in creating environments that draw people and communities together for unforgettable experiences. In the world’s top cities and on more than 120 university campuses we have designed more than 2,000 projects worth $30 billion. Our designs for places like Yankee Stadium, the London Olympic Games, the Los Angeles Convention Center or Baylor University have created emotional connections between people and the civic sports and entertainment places and events they love best. The top communities entrust Populous to help build their brands through design. www.populous.com

ABOUT BALLPARK DIGEST/AUGUST PUBLICATIONS

The leading Website covering the culture and business of baseball since its inception in 2002, Ballpark Digest (www.ballparkdigest.com) has been called an “indispensable” guide to baseball and ballparks by The New York Times; it’s been used as a source by publications and Websites ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Epicurious.com. August Publications is a publisher based in Middleton, Wis. Besides Ballpark Digest, August Publications websites include SpringTrainingOnline.com, ArenaDigest.com, YellowstoneInsider.com and NewWest.net.

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