At Stadium, Red Roof Is Star Player

Eye-Catcher Tops Traditional Facility

Depending on whom you ask, the sloping red roof that defines Regency Furniture Stadium resembles tobacco barns or the famed Churchill Downs racetrack, site of the Kentucky Derby.

Whatever the inspiration, the roof is the major distinguishing feature of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs' $25.6 million baseball stadium, designed by the architect who worked on plans for several other Atlantic League teams' ballparks. At a mostly traditional minor league stadium, it is the roof of the St. Charles facility that stands out.

"The biggest focus was trying to make it fit the context of the Southern Maryland area," said architect Michael Berninger, the project manager with Tetra Tech Inc. "The Churchill Downs look on the roof is really the signature."

The stadium has the smallest number of seats -- 4,500 -- of any Atlantic League stadium, which team officials said would allow fans in every part of the ballpark to be extremely close to the action on the field. No seating section has more than 19 rows, and all the seating is on one level.

"There's not a bad seat in the house," said Mark Viniard, the Blue Crabs' general manager.

On the field, fans will see few characteristics distinguishing Regency Furniture Stadium from other minor league parks, with one exception. Taking cues from the legendary Fenway Park home of the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Crabs' field features a tall green wall that Viniard calls "a mini-Green Monster." The wall is one of many aspects of the team inspired by the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox: Blue Crabs jerseys are similar in styling to those worn by the Boston team -- perhaps no coincidence, because team manager Butch Hobson is a former player and manager for the Sox.

Berninger said that team officials deliberately planned for the Blue Crabs' stadium to look very similar to other ballparks in the region to establish a connection among the teams. Tetra Tech also designed stadiums in York, Pa.; Lancaster, Pa.; and Aberdeen, Md., among others, all of which are owned by Blue Crabs' owner Opening Day Partners. A large bumper boat pond beyond the Blue Crabs' outfield is modeled after one at the stadium in Lancaster.

"It's nice to be able to look at a ballpark and say, 'That looks like an Opening Day Partners park,' " said Peter Kirk, chairman of the ownership group. "The consistency is good for identity."

Cost was also a factor in limiting the frills that adorn the stadium, and initial construction bids that were over budget temporarily derailed the project. After first-round bids from local companies Facchina Construction and Schiebel Construction came in 33 percent over budget, the Charles County commissioners opened the bidding to national firms. They ultimately selected global engineering firm Skanska Construction, whose bid was about $6 million below the rejected early bids.

Skanska significantly cut costs by lowering the field elevation and using less-expensive materials. It also brought down half of the stadium's 16 luxury boxes from the upper level, a money-saving move that has become one of team officials' favorite features of the park.

"It's very unique for a stadium to have boxes at field level, and we're very proud of it," Viniard said. "It allows the luxury-box experience for fans who want to be as close as possible to the game."

One area where the team did not cut costs was on the stadium's video capabilities, which will be displayed on the largest high-definition screen in any minor league park. Next to the screen is an old-fashioned scoreboard that requires the scorekeeper to physically attach the numbers.