PAETEC Park

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = PAETEC Park
nickname =


location = Rochester, New York
broke_ground = 9 July, 2004
opened = 3 June 2006
owner = City of Rochester
operator = Rochester Soccer Corp.
surface = Synthetic Grass(FieldTurf)
construction_cost = $35 million | architect = HOK Sports, Inc.
tenants = Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) (2006-Present)
Rochester Rattlers (MLL) (2006-Present)
Rochester Rhinos Women (WL) (2006-Present)
seating_capacity = 13,768 (2006)

PAETEC Park is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York, for the Rochester Rhinos soccer team of the USL First Division. The stadium, designed by HOK Sport, also hosts other sporting events such as Rochester Rattlers lacrosse games, collegiate soccer and football, field hockey and drum and bugle corps competitions as well as concerts.

PAETEC Park is being funded jointly by the state of New York, the city of Rochester, and the Rhinos (the State of New York paying $23 million while the Rhinos and the city will pay the remaining amount). Infrastructure improvements will be paid for by the city of Rochester. Naming rights were purchased by PAETEC Communications, a telecommunications company, for a reported total of $12.8 million over 22 years (set to expire in 2026). Due to delays, however, the amount has been reduced to $2.1 million over 12 years.

The construction of the park will be done in three phases:
*Phase 1: 12,600 permanent seats (13,768 with bleachers), temporary luxury boxes and picnic area
*Phase 2: 20 Luxury boxes, a permanent pressbox, team store and locker rooms, and other amenities
*Phase 3: Expansion to 20,000 permanent seats

PAETEC Park would be part of the bid for the Rhinos to join Major League Soccer (MLS). It is contingent that any new franchise wishing to join MLS demonstrate that they have a plan in place to play in a soccer-specific stadium (or possibly be operated by a National Football League franchise).

The park hit some minor stumbling blocks even before the first shovel hit dirt.
*The original designs needed to be revised when it was revealed that the playing field was below the water table.
*The environmental impact report revealed that the site had pockets of petroleum that needed to be treated.

Notwithstanding these roadblocks, Phase One of the construction has been completed, and the stadium had its grand opening on June 3, 2006, which featured the Rhinos' first home game of the season. The game was played in front of a capacity crowd of 13,768 fans and ended in a 2-2 tie against the Virginia Beach Mariners.

On a historical note, Paetec Park was built over a filled-in section of the Erie Canal.

External links

* [http://www.paetecpark.com/ Paetec Park official site]

succession box
title = Host of Major League Lacrosse championship weekend
before = Home Depot Center Track Field
after = Harvard Stadium
years = 2007succession box
title = Home field of Rochester Rhinos
before = Frontier Field
after=Current
years = 2006 – presentsuccession box
title = Home field of Rochester Rattlers
before = Bishop Kearney Field
after = Current
years = 2006 – present