There’s a diamond in Kansas City that builds baseball diamonds across the country.
Architecture firm Populous has designed nearly two dozen major league ballparks across the country, and it's done renovations to others including Kauffman Stadium.
The architectural firm is currently working on making upgrades to historic Wrigley Field in Chicago. Populous also designed the Atlanta Braves stadium, which is set to open at the end of March.
Senior Principal Architect Joe Spear talked with 41 Action News about the excitement.
“Opening Day is always cool. You get used to seeing the ballparks empty. Then you show up and here’s 41,000 people, just loving it. It’s great,” Spear said.
Populous has been in the Kansas City area for more than 30 years. The firm’s work can be seen across Kansas City.
In addition to making renovations to Kauffman Stadium, architects have made renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and helped construct Sporting KC’s Children’s Mercy Park.
“I think it’s meant a lot for us to be in Kansas City,” Spear said. “We really appreciate it as a place to live. We really appreciate the talent we can tap here.”
It takes Populous about three years to build an arena from start to finish. While the designs may change, Spears said there’s one thing you’ll see at every sporting arena the architectural firm builds.
“The real value in a well-designed ballpark, or any kind of spectator facility, is it’s got to be about that city. It’s got to be about those fans. They’ve got to love it," Spear said.
Right now Populous is also working on building the Sporting KC Training Center, which is expected to open in Kansas City, Kansas in December.
------
Kevin Holmes can be reached at Kevin.Holmes@KSHB.com
