The new stadium slated to replace Shea Stadium has been renamed Citi Field after a deal was negotiated with Citi Bank for naming rights to the tune of $20 million per year. Not bad for a team already looking at $400 million in income over the next two decades. There will also be a Delta Airlines area of the new stadium and another large area right behind home plate. There will be many amenities available to fans upon the opening of the new field.Once Opening Day 2009 rolls around, the new Jackie Robinson Rotunda will be unveiled – this is the entrance to the stadium; you may notice a certain resemblance to the entrance of the long lost Brooklyn Dodgers stadium, Ebbets Field.

However, one of the things which will not be incorporated into the new home of the Mets will be increased seating. In fact, there will be only 45,000 seats in Citi Field, as opposed to the 57,000 in Shea Stadium. Despite this, there will be a number of amenities and improvements in Citi Field; among them are seven more elevators, for a total of 11, 9 additional luxury suites, 2 more restaurants, 700 more wheelchair accessible seats and nearly 80 more restrooms.

Citi Field will feature some other benefits which are not readily apparent until you visit the park; the seats will be larger for added comfort. One of the best things about Citi Field is that the Mets have committed to stay in Queens until 2049; welcome news to New York baseball fans. It may be a little surprising, but Citi Field nearly didn’t happen so quickly – the city’s lost bid to host the 2012 Olympics paved the way for the New York Mets to build a new stadium. The stadium may not have been built so quickly had this not been the case.

It’s hard to believe that this may have never happened so soon considering the original plans were built around winning the bid to hold the 2012 Olympics. However, everything fell through and eventually opened the door to the Mets organization for a new stadium. Granted, it would have happened anyways, but the timing couldn’t have been better. So take a look at all the images of construction and the computerized blueprint of what the finished product looks like.

Before long, you’ll be able to see Citi Field in person and enjoy all of its amenities. While Shea Stadium will be missed, the memories will live on – and of course, Citi Field will mark a new era for the New York Mets; will you come and be a part of it?