New Home Plate Netting Installed

he Buffalo Bisons today announced that they are installing a new Home Plate Netting System at Coca-Cola Field that will make viewing Bisons games more enjoyable in 2012. A brand new UDR2 Dyneema Backstop Netting, designed by Populous will be installed behind home plate by SLR Contracting and be operational by Opening Day, Wednesday, April 11 as the Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (2:05 p.m.)

The USDR Dyneema Backstop Netting is already being used at major league facilities such as Citi Field in New York, Nationals Park in Washington D.C. and Turner Field in Atlanta. Constructed from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the new net is 15 times stronger than steel and up to 40% stronger than Kevlar.

"We're all very excited for the return of Bisons baseball and the start of the 25th season at Coca-Cola Field," said Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown. "Coca-Cola Field continues to be a premier sports facility and a place that all of Western New York should be proud of to call home."

The Dyneema system weighs just 62 pounds (compared to the current 450 pound system) and requires much smaller connection hardware and fittings. That adds to the system's low visibility for fans in attendance and provides very little obstruction for camera angles and television broadcasts.

Once installed at Coca-Cola Field, this new netting will reach 15 feet higher than the ballpark's current backstop netting. There will no longer be a horizontal 'ceiling' netting above ballpark seats behind home plate, enhancing the fans view of the game.

About Populous
Since inception in 1983, Populous has grown into the world's leading design firm dedicated exclusively to creating environments that draw people and communities together for unforgettable experiences. The firm has completed more than 1,000 projects around the globe with construction value exceeding $20 billion. Populous has worked with 24 Major League Baseball franchises, 30 NFL franchises, 80 professional and civic arena clients, 40 global soccer and rugby teams, 120 universities, 40 convention center clients, 29 equestrian clients and has planned more than 30 major worldwide events.

Pilot Field, now Coca-Cola Field, was one of Populous' first major ballpark projects and led the trend for urban ballparks.  The ballpark proceeded Oriole Park, Jacob's Field and Coors Field as icon parks in the 1990's.

Their portfolio includes such icons as Yankee Stadium in New York; the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games main stadium; Nanjing Sports Park in China; ANZ Stadium in Australia; Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona; the new University of Minnesota football stadium and event planning for the Super Bowl and Major League Baseball All Star Game. We have received nearly 200 design awards for our work, including three national American Institute of Architect awards and countless global design awards. In addition, in 2009 and in 2010, Populous was named one of Fast Company magazine's most innovative companies in sports and was also named the American Institute of Architects - Kansas City Chapter Firm of the Year. As Populous, we enthusiastically embrace the expertise we uniquely claim - drawing people together around teams, athletes, events, places, commerce, industry and ideas they wholeheartedly embrace and adore.

-the herd-