These NFL Teams Will Soon Kick Off In New Stadiums
The 2017 NFL season officially kicked off on Thursday much to the joy of football fans around the country. While fans hope their teams will make it to the Super Bowl in Minneapolis in February, several team owners hope to host a Super Bowl in newly built or revamped stadiums. Check out five stadiums in the works or under renovation below.
Los Angeles Stadium
Location: Inglewood, California
Stadium Capacity: 80,000
Architect: HKS
Expected Cost: $2.6B
The construction of a new stadium in the Los Angeles area has already sparked an increase in property values and development in Inglewood. Mayors in the region expect significant economic benefits from having both the Rams and Chargers in town. The massive 300-acre site will include a 300-room hotel, single-family homes, office, 1M SF of retail, a 6,000-seat performance theater and a 25-acre park. The stadium, which broke ground in November, is expected to deliver by 2020 and will host the Super Bowl in 2021.
Raiders Stadium
Location: Las Vegas
Stadium Capacity: 65,000
Architect: SNTIC/Manica Architecture
Expected Cost: $1.9B
After several years of back and forth over whether the Raiders would remain in Oakland or move to Las Vegas, the NFL approved a move to Las Vegas in March. The Raiders secured financing through a $650M construction loan from Bank of America after Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs pulled out of the deal in January. Another $750M will be generated via a hotel room tax approved by Nevada’s governor in 2016. The stadium is expected to be ready by 2020, and the Raiders will move into a temporary home in Las Vegas in 2019.
Redskins Stadium
Location: To be determined
Stadium Capacity: 100,000
Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group
The biggest criticism of the Washington Redskins’ FedEx Field is there are no amenities around the field. Original designs for a new stadium call for a Redskins Museum, a public park, a concert venue and other amenities for use during the offseason. The team’s owner, Dan Snyder, has been looking into locations in Maryland, where the current stadium is, D.C. and Virginia, where the team holds practices. The team’s lease is set to expire in 2027, but no final location nor timeline for the new stadium has been set.
Ford Field
Location: Detroit
Stadium Capacity: 65,000
Architect: Rossetti Associates
Cost: $100M
While not a new stadium for the Detroit Lions, the renovation, which was finished in early August, modernized the stadium and improved the fan experience. The team built a $20M, 26,500 SF LED video scoreboard, upgraded 209K SF of premium seating and added new restaurants, bars and lounges. The new design includes colorful interiors, updated shops and a new 200-person private lounge. MillerCoors entered into a naming rights deal for the private lounge. The renovation has made the stadium Super Bowl-ready, according to Lions President Rod Wood.
New Era Field
The Buffalo Bills have one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL — built in 1973. The owners have hinted at a new stadium for the team, but have made no final plans. The stadium, formerly known as Ralph Wilson Stadium, underwent a $130M renovation before the start of the 2014 season. In 2014, renderings were drawn for a $1.4B stadium with 72,000 seats, but no further plans have been made. The team has leased New Era Field through 2023, and the owner has indicated there is still plenty of time to consider a new stadium.
