New Mets stadium — Shea no more!

The Mets hope to break ground on their new corporate-named stadium this spring, with the ballpark’s completion expected by opening day 2009, officials announced Thursday at the unveiling of the site plans.
At the press conference, Mets officials were careful not to call the new stadium Shea and said that the new park probably will change names.
“We are actively marketing,” said Jeff Wilpon, senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Mets.
The new and smaller 45,000-seat stadium will cost the team between $500 and $600 million with the city contributing $90 million in capital funds and the state kicking in $75 million in rent credits for infrastructure improvements. A retractable roof, with a $150 to $200 million price tag, as well as 20 additional luxury suites was scrapped in the final design.
Combining modern elements with design nostalgic of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mets team owner Fred Wilpon choked up when describing the inspiration for the new ballpark, Ebbets Field, as he recalled going to watch the Dodgers as a child “holding my dad’s hand.”
Officials said that fans should be happy with the changes from the circular-designed Shea Stadium - the wider seats with more legroom will all face the infield, and seats will feel closer to the field with better sightlines.
Other changes include quadrupling the amount of wheelchair seating, adding 13 more luxury suites, and installing several restaurants and bars with field views. Fans will also get to keep their gaze on the field when walking around the stadium, with an open-air concourse replacing the walled-off versions on all four levels at Shea.
Construction will provide 6,000 temporary jobs, while the 1,000 Mets employees will remain onboard until the new stadium is completed in Shea’s current parking lot, to the east of the park.
However, Governor George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg added that the construction will provide other economic boosts into the area - upping rider ship on the 7 line and Long Island Rail Road and bringing potential customers into the Flushing area.
Bloomberg did stress, however, that the new stadium as well as other development projects would not be held hostage to community demands.
The Mets met with City Council members last week to discuss potential windfalls of the new construction in the surrounding areas, which for the new Yankee Stadium cost the Bronx team $50 million for schools and neighborhood groups.