A Polar Park Discussion with Ballpark Designer Janet Marie Smith

Ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith loves the scale of minor league stadiums.  It means she can focus on every last detail.  With Worcester’s new Polar Park at the drawing board, Smith and the Pawtucket/Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) team are imagining how they can infuse Worcester flare into each corner of the venue.  Read more here.

Talking Ballpark Design in Worcester

On Tuesday, Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) President Dr. Charles Steinberg, Paw Sox Chairman Larry Lucchino, ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith, and City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., welcomed some of the other people who will sit around the ballpark-design table, including D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects and Sasaki Associates — leaders of the design effort for Polar Park and its surroundings. Read more here and here.

City of Worcester Introduces D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects and Sasaki Associates to provide ballpark design https://t.co/7ZGKmTNScf

— Polar Park (@PolarPark2021) January 29, 2019

An Interview with Ballpark Designer Janet Marie Smith

Ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith is known for her work on the design and construction of Camden Yards, her role senior vice president of planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and overseeing the preservation and expansion of Fenway Park from 2002-2009.  Now she’s working along side former Boston Red Sox executive Larry Lucchino planning the site for the future Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  Read more here.

Mock Takes In-Depth Look at #1 Ed Smith Stadium

In compiling information to draft articles for the USA TODAY Spring Training Preview, Joe Mock of BaseballParks.com partnered with data-mining firm ReviewTrackers to look at all 23 spring-training ballparks.  Surprisingly, Ed Smith Stadium, the spring-training home of the Baltimore Orioles, came in at #1 for overall fan experience.  Intrigued to dig deeper, Mock talked with baseball architect Janet Marie Smith, Orioles’ Executive VP John Angelos, Manager Buck Showalter, pitcher/broadcaster Jim Palmer, and designer David Schwartz.  The complete rundown and interviews/quotes are available here.

Dodgers Tap Janet Marie Smith to Oversee Stadium Renovations

Janet Marie Smith got it done in Baltimore and Boston, and now the Los Angeles Dodgers have hired her to oversee the multiyear renovation of Dodger Stadium that is set to begin this winter.  The Dodgers are looking to add amenities without destroying the retro 1950s look and feel of the park.  Read more here and here.

After Nearly Two Decades, Time for a Camden Yards Makeover

The Baltimore Orioles have brought back Janet Marie Smith, the architect/urban planner largely credited with developing the new retro- style ballpark mimicked around MLB and the minors, to give Camden Yards a sprucing up.  It is hard to believe that Camden Yards made its debut almost 2o years ago in 1992.  Read more here.

The Camdenization of Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota

Janet Marie Smith, the vice president of planning and development for the Baltimore Orioles, is handling the design responsibilities for the $31.2 million rebuild of Ed Smith Stadium that the Orioles are expected to occupy in 2011.  As many of you know, Smith built an impressive resume for her work with Camden Yards and Fenway Park.  Read more here.