Image: Populous are behind the project's design

Chicago Cubs and the City of Mesa have held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction work on a new baseball stadium and spring training facility in Arizona, US.

Populous are behind the plans for the US$99m (EUR81m, £64m) scheme, which was given the unanimous backing of Mesa voters in 2010 and includes a refurbished Riverview Park.

The 15,000-seat stadium will contain a video board, shaded seats and luxury suites, while the training facility will have seven full-size practice fields and one infield-only natural turf field.

Meanwhile, the reconfiguration of the park will feature a new playground, grass/shaded areas and a lake serving as an urban fishing location and irrigation for the entire site.

Chicago Cubs chair Tom Ricketts said: "Spring training in sunny Mesa has been special for Cubs fans from around the country for more than 50 years.

"We are very excited the great tradition of Cubs baseball will continue in Mesa with a new stadium that will provide our players access to a world-class training facility year round."

Details: www.populous.com

Image: City of Mesa