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The Seattle Mariners have finalized the stadium operations staff for Safeco Field, which will become the baseball team's new home when the $500 million facility opens in July.

Vice President of Ballpark Operations Neil Campbell, who joined the Mariners last year, oversees all aspects of operations at the 47,000-seat facility. He said the building is 70% complete.

The operations staff behind Campbell brings a wealth of experience from other public assembly facilities and from other industries as well.

"The thing I'm really pleased with is the fact we've got a good cross-section of people with experience not just in facilities, but in other areas of dealing with the public," Campbell said. "Guest services is a real priority for us. I think we've got a group that will allow us to raise the bar a little bit and step out and do the things in guest relations we really want to see happen here in Seattle."

The staff appointments include Tony Pereira, director of operations; Mike Allison, manager of engineering and maintenance; Paul Schieck, manager of security and parking; Alexi Kelly, director of guest relations; Sandi Smith, contracts administrator; and Marianne Short, director of human resources.

Campbell also said Steve Peeler will join Safeco Field as head groundskeeper. Peeler comes to Seattle from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where he oversaw the reinstallation of a natural grass playing surface.

Pereira, who oversees ballpark operations during events, has been with the Mariners for 18 years in a variety of stadium operations positions. He was named director of stadium operations for the Mariners at the Kingdome in 1991.

Allison, who is responsible for systems and maintenance of the stadium, was most recently director of facilities and operations for the SuperMall of the Great Northwest in Auburn, Wash. He was also project manager for Ogden Allied Services, where he was responsible for the management and maintenance of eight government buildings in the Seattle/Tacoma area.

Schieck, who will be responsible for facility and event security and parking services as well as safety and risk management, was most recently with the Washington State Convention & Visitors Bureau in Seattle. He spent 14 years with the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, where he managed security and parking at Cashman Field.

Kelly — responsible for management of services for Safeco Field's luxury sites, Diamond Club premium seats, guest and concierge services — had previously been a tour and travel management consultant for Clipper Navigation, a Seattle-based operator of ferry service between Seattle and Victoria, B.C.

Smith, the liaison between the Mariners and stadium food service provider Volume Services America, is a 15-year veteran of stadium and arena food service operations, including those at the Seattle Center, University of Washington's Husky Stadium and Hec Edmunson Pavilion and Reunion Arena in Dallas. Most recently, she ran food service operations for Providence Health Systems in Everett, Wash.

Safeco Field will employ about 600 part-time employees, most of which will be hired between January and April. The building's food service contractor, Volume Services America, will hire another 1,300 part-time employees.

Designed by NBBJ Architects of Los Angeles, Safeco Field will have a retractable roof that will cover — but not enclose — the ballpark during inclement weather. The facility was originally estimated to cost $423 million, but cost overruns have pushed the price tag to beyond $500 million.

The facility's inaugural game will be July 15 against the San Diego Padres.

Safeco Field will possibly host special events, but the use of the field is limited by an underground heating system that allows turf to be grown during the winter months so it is ready for opening day, Campbell said.