Editor’s note: This story is revised from the print edition.
SportsBusiness Journal projects that a record $6.22 billion in sports venue construction will wrap up this year, a 7 percent increase over 2016 and 6 percent above the previous high of $5.85 billion that occurred in 2009.
That figure includes the openings of approximately 40 new or significantly renovated U.S. and Canadian-based sports venues that will be used by professional teams and collegiate athletic programs.
A look at eight new buildings that are scheduled to open this year:
The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Opening date: Feb. 28
Tenants: Houston Astros and Washington Nationals spring training; Gulf Coast League Astros; Gulf Coast League Nationals
Cost: $135 million
Capacity: 6,500 fixed seats / 8,000 total
Owner and operator: Palm Beach County
Architect: HKS
Construction: Hunt Construction
Concessionaire: Professional Sports Catering
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Orlando City Stadium’s rainbow seats honor the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shootings.
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Orlando City Stadium
Opening date: March 5
Tenants: Orlando City SC; Orlando Pride
Cost: $155 million
Capacity: 25,500
Owner and operator: City of Orlando
Architect: Populous
Construction: Barton Malow; Icon Venue Group (Orlando City SC owner’s representative)
Concessionaire: Spectra Food Services & Hospitality
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Photo by: ATLANTA BRAVES
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SunTrust Park (Atlanta)
Opening date: March 31
Tenant: Atlanta Braves
Cost: $672 million
Capacity: 41,500
Owner / Operator: Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority / Atlanta Braves
Architects: Populous; JLL (project manager), Jerde (master land planner)
Construction: American Builders 2017 (a Brasfield & Gorrie/Mortenson Construction/Barton Malow Co./New South Construction joint venture)
Concessionaire: Delaware North Sportservice
Dunkin’ Donuts Park (Hartford, Conn.)
Opening date: April 13
Tenant: Class AA Hartford Yard Goats
Cost: $71 million
Capacity: 6,056 fixed seats / 8,000 total
Owner / Operator: Hartford Stadium Authority (city of Hartford) / Yard Goats
Architects: Pendulum Studio; The S/L/A/M Collaborative; Newman Architects; Cashin Spinelli & Ferretti
Construction: Whiting-Turner Contracting
Concessionaire: Professional Sports Catering
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Opening date: June 1
Tenants: Atlanta Falcons; Atlanta United FC; Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl; Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl; SEC football championship game
Cost: $1.5 billion
Capacity: 71,000 NFL / 40,000 MLS
Owner / Operator: Georgia World Congress Center Authority / Atlanta Falcons
Architects: HOK; Goode Van Slyke Architecture; Stanley Beaman & Sears; TVSdesign
Construction: Holder Construction Co./Hunt Construction Group/H.J. Russell & Co./C.D. Moody Construction Co. joint venture; Darden & Co. (project manager). Heery is providing construction representative services for the GWCCA.
Concessionaire: Levy Restaurants
Wintrust Arena (Chicago)
Opening date: August
Tenants: DePaul University men’s and women’s basketball
Cost: $164 million
Capacity: 10,050
Owner / Operator: Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority / SMG
Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Construction: Prairie District 3 Partners (a Clark Construction/Bulley & Andrews/Old Veteran Construction/McKissack & McKissack/Goettsch Partners/Moody Nolan joint venture)
Concessionaire: Savor
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Photo by: OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT OF MICHIGAN
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Little Caesars Arena (Detroit)
Opening date: September
Tenants: Detroit Red Wings; Detroit Pistons; NCAA Great Lakes Invitational hockey tournament; NCAA Horizon League men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments
Cost: $732.6 million
Capacity: 19,600
Owner / Operator: Downtown Development Authority / Ilitch Cos. (Red Wings’ owner)
Architects: HOK (arena designer); Rossetti (architecture inspector for the Downtown Development Authority)
Construction: Barton Malow/White Construction/Hunt Construction Group joint venture
Concessionaire: Delaware North Sportservice
Colorado State stadium (Fort Collins, Colo.)
Opening date: Sept. 9
Tenant: Colorado State University football
Cost: $238.5 million
Capacity: 41,200
Owner and operator: CSU
Architect: Populous
Construction: Mortenson Construction; Icon Venue Group (CSU owner’s representative)
Concessionaire: Spectra Food Services & Hospitality
Source: SportsBusiness Journal research
