The club now expects the expansion project to be completed by late May or early June '19GETTY IMAGES
The Timbers' deep run in the MLS Cup Playoffs has "forced the club to delay certain facets of its construction plan" for Providence Park, according to Jamie Goldberg of the Portland OREGONIAN. Timbers President of Business Operations Mike Golub said that the team's playoff run has "slightly impacted the timeline around stadium expansion." Golub said that the club now "expects the expansion project to be completed by late May or early June" '19. He added that due to the new timeline, the Timbers and NWSL Portland Thorns would "both be on the road for a significant amount of time at the start" of their '19 seasons. Golub also said that the Timbers "could play their first 12 games" next season on the road. Goldberg notes less than 24 hours after the first leg of the Timbers' playoff series against Sporting KC on Sunday, crews were "busy at work on Providence Park as they prepared for the next phase of construction." On Monday, crews "began disassembling the current roof on the east side of Providence Park." In the coming days, additional cranes "will be brought in." A new roof will then be "installed in parts starting in the middle or the end of December." The club will "install essentially what are trays for the new seats in early January." Golub said actual seats "will be installed in early spring." Goldberg notes along with "adding 4,000 seats to Providence Park and completely remodeling the east side of the stadium, the Timbers and Thorns also plan to add a new scoreboard and video board to the stadium in the offseason" (Portland OREGONIAN, 11/27).
