NEW YORK, June 15 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees are getting a new home field.
They have played at Yankee Stadium, one of the most recognized sports facilities in the world, since it was built in 1923. At a news conference Wednesday, team officials said construction on the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx -- where the legendary Yankee Stadium now stands -- will begin next year.
The new stadium, seating 51,000 fans, is expected to be ready for the 2009 season. Major League Baseball's Web site said the new facility will include a hotel, conference center and a magnet high school for sports-related careers.
Boston's Fenway Park, built in 1912, and Chicago's Wrigley Field, constructed in 1914, are the only baseball stadiums older than Yankee Stadium, which houses one of the most successful franchises in sports history.
The new site has an $800 million price tag.
"The Yankees, not the taxpayers, will pay for this project," said Yankees president Randy Levine. "The Yankees, not the taxpayers, will pay to maintain this ballpark."
