The Timbers are "moving forward" with a privately funded $50M stadium expansion plan that "would add four new levels and approximately 4,000 new seats to the east side of Providence Park," according to a front-page piece by Jamie Goldberg of the Portland OREGONIAN. The Timbers, who yesterday unveiled a rendering of their expansion design, have been in "active discussions" with Portland and are "set to submit their proposal to the City's Design Commission this week." The Timbers have been "looking at ways to expand seating capacity at Providence Park for more than a year as they strive to meet demand for tickets -- the club has 13,000 fans on its season ticket waiting list -- and keep up with growing stadium capacity across MLS." The club partnered with Portland-based Allied Works Architecture on an expansion design that they "believe will preserve the intimate fan experience" while "raising capacity to roughly 25,000." The design "calls for the construction of four new levels and a larger roof on the east side." The "first level of the new section will include enclosed club seating, the second and third levels will be for general seating and the fourth level will be for group seating." There will be stairs and "two high speed elevators leading up to the new levels." No existing seats will be "impacted by the new construction, except in that the new roof will cover more seats on the east side of the stadium." All of the new levels also will "have their own concession stands, bars and bathrooms." The Timbers are also in talks with the city about "amending their operating agreement," which runs through '35, to "reflect the new expansion" (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/27).
EYE TO THE FUTURE: In Portland, Andy Giegerich noted pending approvals, construction "would begin this fall." Timbers President of Business Operations Mike Golub "believes the work could be completed between the next few seasons, leading to a rollout" either when the '19 or the '20 seasons begin. As new clubs have entered MLS and begun "playing in larger facilities, the Timbers have dropped to the lower half in terms of stadium capacity." But the team has already "added about 2,500 seats worth of capacity to the facility over the past five years" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/26).
