Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross on Friday "invited allies in state and local government, his football brain trust and members of the South Florida media to tour" Sun Life Stadium, where the team "showed eye-popping renderings of what will be" after a two-year, $350M renovation is complete, according to Adam Beasley of the MIAMI HERALD. By August, a new seating bowl "will be in place, with capacity down" by about 14%. But the team said that what the stadium "will lose in quantity ... it will make up in quality." The new setup "will have more seats on the lower level, and the stands will be 24 feet closer to the field." The Dolphins are calling that Phase I of the construction plan -- and Phase II "will bring changes even more stark." A long-awaited canopy and "four giant HD video boards will go in then." The Dolphins "appeared confident Friday that once construction is complete, they’ll have no problem winning the rights to some of the biggest events." Ross said that the local Super Bowl host committee "will make an aggressive bid" for the '19 event, and "hopes to again host the game every four to seven years." Although the stadium "will continue to host world-class soccer," David Beckham’s potential MLS franchise "is clearly not an option" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/17).
RENOVATION DETAILS: In West Palm Beach, Hal Habib noted for the '15 season, the 100- and 300-level concourses "will be renovated and all seats will be new." The gap from the sidelines to the seats "will be cut by 24 feet down to 56, and capacity reduced by nearly 11,000 to 65,326, creating a more intimate atmosphere." The Dolphins in an effort to facilitate construction are "working with the NFL on a schedule this fall that provides for a few consecutive road games followed by a string of home games." No events "are planned for Sun Life" until the team's preseason home opener. Meanwhile, the Dolphins said that the team has "an understanding" with Canada-based Sun Life Financial, whose naming-rights deal expired last year, "to keep the name in the short term while the club searches" for a partner (PALM BEACH POST, 1/17). Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel said that producing a "more dynamic environment was a prime objective in the redesign." Garfinkel: "One of the goals was to try to make it as loud as we can. With the roof canopy, it actually bounces the sound back down. It will be a very loud environment in here when the fans are loud" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 1/17). The MIAMI HERALD's Beasley reported as part of an "ultra-luxury game experience, the organization will send black cars to fetch their elite customers, with a private entrance and exit to skip traffic." Big spenders "will have access to a swanky, all-inclusive club at the 50-yard line, with field access during the game." These packages "will be quite expensive -- and even more scarce." Meanwhile, season-ticket holders "will now be able to sit with their friends regardless of where their tickets were in the stadium’s previous incarnation" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/18).
