Renovations to Providence Park are "nearly complete after 20 months of construction," and the project "changes the look and feel" of the home venue for the Timbers and NWSL Thorns, according to Caitlin Murray of PRO SOCCER USA. The stadium "still has the character of the historic 93-year-old building it is," but it now "feels contemporary and more in line with the stadiums being built today." The renovation, which includes 4,000 more seats among other upgrades, "isn't quite finished yet, but the three decks of new seats, two new video boards and a modern edge-to-edge roof" are in place. The rest of the work "will be done by the stadium's reopening June 1." The "main feature" of the privately-funded $85M project is a "wall of new seating in three stacks that will bring the total capacity" from 21,144 to 25,218. With that change, Providence Park goes from "one of the smaller stadiums in MLS to one of the larger soccer-specific stadiums in the league." The bottom tier of the new seating sections will "offer something Providence Park had lacked previously: a premium experience at a high cost." Some of the perks include "upscale food and beverage options, complimentary wifi, extra leg room and a climate-controlled environment." An upgraded video board "replaces the old one at the south end -- the footprint of the board is the same, but now it's entirely LED instead of featuring advertising signs, which means a screen double in size, and it has a higher resolution." Another new video board on the west side of the stadium "replaces advertising panels as well, giving fans on the north end a clearer view of video replays" (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 5/8).
WELCOME TO SOCCER CITY: In Portland, Jamie Goldberg noted the three new levels are "in place and the new seats have been installed." The seats on the second level of the new section "spell out, 'SCUSA,' an acronym for Soccer City USA." The new east side of the stadium has "decks on each level that overlook the field." There is also a "walkway behind the stands on the top level that will give fans a view of the street and downtown." The open spaces "could help add to the fan experience, giving ticket holders a place to stand and hang out when they are not sitting in their seats" (OREGONLIVE.com, 5/8).
