Billions for buildings

In recent years, a trend has developed in the USA to build new stadiums and arenas worth billions. A look at current new construction and renovation projects in the United States shows that this trend does not seem to be abating.

Whether Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, UBS Arena in New York or Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle: the list of projects that have cost more than 1 billion euros is long. As the list is only a selection, such expensive projects are by no means unique in the USA. While in Europe only very few construction projects break the magic billion-euro mark, in the land of unlimited possibilities numerous such stadiums and arenas are currently being planned or even under construction.

NBA with new mega arena

With the Intuit Dome, a mega-project is already nearing completion in Inglewood. The new home of the Los Angeles Clippers is scheduled to open in autumn 2024. The cost of the new 18,500-seat multifunctional arena is approximately 1.68 billion euros. A total of five basketball courts are planned for the Intuit Dome – two for training, one promo court, one outdoor court and the court for the Clippers’ home games. The promo court is an exact replica of the playing field inside the arena. Another highlight of the new arena is what is claimed to be the largest halo board ever built in an indoor arena. The LED surface extends to just over 3,565 m².

The Clippers are scheduled to move into their new arena for the start of the 2024/25 season. This would give them only a short time to enjoy the modernised Crypto.com Arena. By 2024, the Clippers’, Lakers’ and Kings’ current home will undergo extensive modernisation. When the work is completed, the LA Clippers will be on the verge of moving out. In three stages, the Crypto.com Arena will undergo more than 100 million euros worth of work, including the installation of new LED screens and boards, improvements to the spectator stands and restaurants in the arena, and a refresh of the home teams’ locker rooms. The hospitality areas are also being extensively refurbished.

The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium is also about to undergo a refurbishment of the VIP areas, among other things, in view of the upcoming FIFA Men’s World Cup. The design of the suites, including new media technology, is to be redesigned. Inside the stadium, the video board is to be converted to 4K. All the renovation work – which also includes the expansion of the concession stands – will cost more than 260 million euros. (STADIAWORLD, 28.08.2023)