The Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium would be transformed from a concrete slab surrounded by parking lots into a parklike area with hundreds of trees and a walking trail, under a landscaping plan released yesterday by Naval Academy, city and state officials.

"It's going to take an area that's probably not as attractive as it should be and make it attractive," said Vice Adm. Richard Naughton, the superintendent of the Naval Academy.

The improvements will mark the latest stage in an ongoing $40 million overhaul of the 43- year-old stadium, which is about a mile from downtown Annapolis and is home to Navy's football team. Officials said the stadium grounds will be encircled by 500 trees, retention ponds to ease storm water runoff problems, 25,000 square feet of shrubbery and a 10-foot-wide meandering walking path.

Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer said the stadium will become a gateway to the city.

The price tag: nearly $1.2 million.

The state approved federal funds to cover 50 percent of the cost. The Naval Academy will pay 30 percent and the city will pay 20 percent.

On top of that price tag, Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. will provide $30,000 and 500 trees.

The landscaping should be completed before next football season, officials said. It would line the roads that surround the grounds of the 35,000-seat stadium: Cedar Park Road, Farragut Road, Taylor Avenue and Rowe Boulevard.

There was talk yesterday that within the perimeter landscaping, the gravel parking lot on the stadium's west side could become a grassy area big enough for six soccer fields to be used when the stadium is not.

"That would be an opportunity to open up some green space," said Chet Gladchuk, athletic director of the Naval Academy Athletic Association.

At yesterday's news conference, the word of the day was "partnership." Each group praised the other and spoke of their ability to work together.

"We haven't worked this closely together for a long time -- if ever," said Moyer of the city and academy.

The only group not invited to the celebratory news conference were the residents who live around the stadium. They have improving but still not completely harmonious relations with the academy over the stadium. They met last night with Naval Academy officials.

"It looks like this has a possibility of a being an asset to the community," said stadium neighbor Dan Masterson. "I'm just hoping it will stay on course."

Members of the Weems Creek Conservancy have also been major critics of the stadium renovation. At the outset they complained that it didn't take into account storm water runoff that has dumped water polluted by car liquids, stadium trash and sediment into College and Weems creeks.

By the time the plans were unveiled yesterday, they included at least four retention ponds to treat at least 85 percent of the storm water before it fills the creeks, said Jim Martin of the conservancy.

"The community suffered it," Martin said. "They put up with it. Now we're going to see something beautiful."

The trees and 1.25-mile perimeter walkway are intended to form a buffer between the stadium and the neighborhood.

Said Alderwoman Sheila M. Tolliver. "It certainly is better than what we have now."