Citizens Bank Park

The Phillies originally wanted a downtown ballpark similar to Baltimore, Denver, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit and San Francisco. Various locations were proposed, initially at Broad and Spring Garden streets, Spring Garden and Delaware Avenue and next to 30th Street Station, where the main post office is located. The team and City announced that the site would be at 13th and Vine streets, just north of Interstate 676, within walking distance of the Center City downtown district. There was considerable support for a downtown ball park from business and labor and the city at large, but residents of the city's Chinatown section protested. The City and team eventually settled on building at the south Philadelphia sports complex, on the site of an old food warehouse much like Lincoln Financial Field. In the years that followed, residents, fans and owner Bill Giles expressed regret that the new ball park was not located in Center City. Regardless of location, the team set records in 2009 for attendance (3,600,649 fans) and sellouts (73, including 42 straight at the end of the season).
The unveiling of the park and ground breaking ceremonies were on June 28, 2001. Following the game that evening, the location of the left-field foul pole was unveiled at the outset of the team's annual 4th of July fireworks display. On June 17, 2003 Citizens Bank agreed with the team to a 25-year, US $95 million deal for naming rights and advertising on telecasts, radio broadcasts, publications and inside the facility.[4] The ballpark was officially topped off on August 12, 2003, and opened in April 2004.

Events