60 | SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 www.stadiaworld.com CONSTRUCTION the architectural firm HOK, the conversion affects “every inch of the existing stadium”. Whether there will be a complete rebuild or a new building in Chicago is still unclear. The Bears have long been dissatisfied with their current home, Soldier Field. The stadium, built in 1924 and last renovated in 2003, is too old, too small for the NFL (lowest capacity in the league) with around 61,500 seats, and – above all – the team, as tenants and not owners of the stadium, has too few design options. Therefore, the franchise used the option to buy the property, which they have held for several years, to put pressure on the city of Chicago. The city, in turn, is willing to extensively renovate and modernise Soldier Field, but not to give up its status as landlord. The club is therefore planning to build a 2-billion-euro stadium on the former site of Arlington International Racecourse. Although the lease on Soldier Field runs until 2033, it is said to contain an exit clause. However, as there are still financing issues for the new building project, the purchase of the land is to be understood as a move and not as a final decision. The Bears themselves stated in an open letter on the subject: “The signing of the contract is not a guarantee that the property will actually be developed, but it is an important next step in our ongoing evaluation of this opportunity.” New ball parks for the MLB The Oakland Athletics from Major League Baseball also have their eye on a new location. Currently – as the name indicates – still based in Oakland, the franchise is planning a move to Las Vegas. Located directly on the Las Vegas Strip, a new ballpark is to be built. The A’s say it will have a capacity of 30,000 fans, making it one of the smallest parks in Major League Baseball. The project is currently estimated to cost 1.4 billion euros, and the A’s could move in by 2028. Other new ballparks are also in the planning stages. The Kansas City Royals, for example, want to present a location for their new construction project “at the end of the summer”. Two potential locations are being considered: one in East Village near the city centre and one in the north of the city. The Royals are planning to move to the new home by 2030, which is expected to cost almost 2 billion euros. At around 890 million euros, on the other hand, the project in Portland is almost “inexpensive”. With the Portland Diamond Ballpark, the city is aiming to bring a new MLB team to the city. However, the project is still at the planning stage. While the planned baseball stadium in Portland is below the magic billion mark, there are several projects planned or even underway that will cost far more than 1 billion euros. This means that the already long list of projects will continue to grow in the future. Located directly on the Las Vegas Strip, a new ballpark is to be built. Picture: Oakland Athletics The Intuit Dome is to receive the largest halo board in an indoor arena worldwide. Picture: LA Clippers
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzU2MjQ=