They're Out!: 8 Short-Lived Sports Venues

Turner_Field_CNN.jpg

(CNN) — The Atlanta Braves shocked fans on Monday when the ball club announced its plan to leave Turner Field after less than two decades in one of Major League Baseball’s most famous stadiums.

Braves President John Schuerholz, in a video message posted on the team’s website, cited traffic issues, a shortage of parking spaces, and “hundreds of millions of dollars of upgrades” needed to the current stadium as reasons why the team has decided to build a new home. “The Ted” was originally built for the 1996 Summer Olympics, then reconfigured before the Braves moved into it the next year.

The new stadium will cost around $672 million and will be 14 miles away from its current location. The team plans to move in in 2017, 20 years after the team played its first game at Turner Field. The Braves president said the new stadium “will be one of the most magnificent in all of baseball.”

Here are some other sports venues gone too soon:

Georgia Dome

The Braves aren’t the only Atlanta team getting a new stadium. The football Falcons are leaving behind the dome that opened in 1992 and building a new stadium for around $950 million.

Miami Arena

The city of Miami built the arena for $52 million in 1988 for the basketball team, according to Miami TV station WLRN. But the team moved out just 12 years later in 2000, and the building was demolished in 2008.

Seattle Kingdome

The Seattle Kingdome was imploded in 2000. The stadium was built in 1976 and was home to the NFL’s Seahawks, MLB’s Mariners, and the NBA’s SuperSonics. The Mariners moved out in 1999, just 23 years after the multipurpose stadium was built. The team’s new stadium cost more than $516 million, according to ballparks.com.

Alamodome

The multi-use stadium opened in 1993 for $186 million. The arena was built for the San Antonio Spurs and conventions in the area, according to its website. The team moved out nine short years later.

Tropicana Field

The Tampa Bay Rays have occupied the domed structure since 1998, but the club released renderings for a new stadium less than 10 years later, according to ballparksofbaseball.com. USA Today reports that the team’s management still has not found a location for the new stadium.

Charlotte Coliseum

The Coliseum was built in 1988 and demolished 19 years later in 2007. The stadium was built for the Charlotte Hornets, but the team left for New Orleans in 2002.

China’s National Stadium

The Olympic stadium, better known as the “Bird’s Nest,” was built in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics for $480 million. Five years later, the Nest is empty and only used as a tourist destination. Oh, and it costs $11 million annually to maintain, according to The Atlantic.

About Post Author

Comments

From the Web

Skip to content
Verified by MonsterInsights