Citifield Update

Richard Sandomir at Newsday, writes about Citifield and gives an update on the progress:

“By the end of this season, most of the exterior facade will be in place,” Howard said. “It will look like the virtual model we have online.”

Shea still serves a purpose, beyond housing the Mets for two more seasons, and it is not simply to underscore the limits of the dual-purpose stadiums. Inside an unused section of the World’s Fair-era hulk, the Mets have built a showroom that depicts what the 10 Sterling and 40 Excelsior luxury suites will look like (the former will have bathrooms modeled on the Four Seasons restaurant’s). Various types of seats can be tested for comfort.

The team is also using the showroom to assess carpeting, tile, color and other design schemes — Jeff Wilpon, who grew up in the family’s real estate development business, can offer a spiel about terrazzo floors — for the suites, clubhouses and concourses. The concourses may have glazed wall tile.

“I want to know what we’ve designed before we sell it,” Wilpon said.

The $600 million stadium will reflect its era, as its predecessor did. Shea’s opening was envisioned for 1962, the Mets’ inaugural season, but after delays, it took about two more years to complete.