Fetterman Field | |
 2012 photo of the stadium | |
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  Blue Wahoos Stadium Location within Florida Show map of Florida Blue Wahoos Stadium Blue Wahoos Stadium (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Address | 351 West Cedar Street Pensacola, FL 32502 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°24′15.6″N87°13′05.6″W / 30.404333°N 87.218222°W /30.404333; -87.218222 |
| Owner | Community Maritime Park Associates |
| Operator | Community Maritime Park Associates |
| Capacity | 5,038[1] |
| Field size | Left Field: 342 ft (104 m) Center Field: 400 ft (120 m) Right Field: 335 ft (102 m) |
| Surface | Artificial Turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 17, 2009[2] |
| Opened | April 5, 2012 (2012-04-05) |
| Construction cost | $23,845,045.23[3] ($32.7 million in 2024 dollars[4]) |
| Architect | Populous[3] Bullock Tice Associates[3] SMB Architecture[3] |
| Project manager | Hatch Mott MacDonald/Morette[5] |
| Structural engineer | Joe DeReuil Associates, LLC.[6] |
| Services engineer | Schmidt Consulting Engineers[6] |
| General contractor | Magi Construction JV[3] |
| Main contractors | Southeastern Construction Inc.[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Pensacola Blue Wahoos (SL) 2012–present West Florida Argonauts (NCAA) 2016–2021 | |
Blue Wahoos Stadium,[7] located in the Community Maritime Park, is a multi-use park inPensacola, Florida, that includes a stadium, commercial buildings, a waterfront public park and amphitheater.[8] The mixed use stadium holds 5,038 people and can be used for a number of events year-round, includingbaseball,soccer,football, festivals, graduations, and similar events. The multi-use stadium was originally designed to be the home field of thePensacola Pelicans; it hosts theMiami MarlinsDouble-A affiliate, thePensacola Blue Wahoos of theSouthern League. The stadium is situated facing thePensacola Bay. The playing surface is titled "Admiral Jack Fetterman Field", honoring the U.S. Navy three-star vice admiral, who retired in Pensacola and became a prominent civic leader. Along with Vince Whibbs Sr., the two were influential in getting the Community Maritime Park project approved by voters.[7]
On April 28, 2009, the Pensacola City Council gave final approval for the ballpark to be built.[9]
The entire project cost $54 million and was completed in time for the Blue Wahoos' inaugural home opener on April 5, 2012. Building the ballpark cost $23,845,045.23.[3]
Blue Wahoos Stadium is a 117,000 square feet (10,900 m2), 5,038 seat multi-use venue. Construction includes precast concrete bowl seating, steel framed elevated slabs, post-tensioned slabs-on-grade, and an auger castpile foundation with concrete grade beams andpile caps. This project was custom designed to meet the needs for the use by a minor league baseball team as well as for accommodating other sporting and festival type events. The structure and slab-on-grade was pile supported due to poor soil conditions and concern over scour from hurricanes.
During steel fabrication and foundation construction, aDouble-A baseball team was acquired. This acquisition required enhancements to the stadium. This was a challenge for the design team who worked diligently to adjust the structure while using newly constructed elements within the enhancements, while providing subcontractors information needed to keep construction moving forward without incurring additional mobilization fees.[10]
The amphitheater has architecturally exposed steel trusses and frames supporting curved steel roof purlins with a heavy timber, tongue-and-groove roof deck. The steel trusses and frames are designed and shaped to resemble the fronds of a palm tree. The steel structure is supported on concrete piers that are supported on a large concrete pile cap that rests on auger-cast-in-place piles. The concrete piers also support the main stage floor. The stage floor is a flat plate, 8 inches (200 mm) thick post-tensioned concrete slab.[11]
The stadium hosted theArgonauts football team of theUniversity of West Florida (UWF) for six seasons from 2016 to 2021.[12][13][14] On November 13, 2021, theArgonauts won a share of their first-everGulf South Conference football title at the stadium in a win overValdosta State.[15] On November 20, 2021, UWF hosted their first-ever homeNCAA Division IIplayoff game at the venue.[16]
