Plans for the amenities within the upcoming Las Vegas stadium are changing, with the Oakland Raiders adding new suites and a field-level club.
Currently under construction in anticipation of a 2020 opening, the new Las Vegas stadium is slated to be an active facility. Along with becoming the new home of the relocating Raiders and UNLV football, the stadium is expected to be a selling point that can be touted by the Raiders and local officials as they try to bring major events to Las Vegas, with a future Super Bowl among the possibilities.
In a move that the Raiders feel will enhance the spectator experience for their games and other stadium events, the organization has added 20 suites to the venue’s planned inventory, bringing that total to 128. Also part of the mix is a new plan for a 26,000-square-foot field-level club area in the north end zone (rendering above). Those additions, along with other changes announced by the organization last week, add $40 million to the $1.8 billion project’s budget, with the Raiders paying the additional cost. More from the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Of the $40 million windfall, $8 million will go toward adding the 20 new suites in place of some single seats in the south end zone.
“It took out a few seats in that one end zone structure, a few hundred seats, but capacity will still be around 65,000,” [Raiders President Marc] Badian told the Review-Journal. “So it will be some fixed (seating) and some standing room only to get us up to that number.”
Aside from being beneficial for everyday events, the added suites will benefit the larger events that could be held at the stadium.
“It’s also good for the Super Bowl,” Badain said. “The more suites you have, the better opportunity you have to bid for the Super Bowl. So we wanted to be responsive to the NFL, as we’re working on a bid for the 2025 Super Bowl.”
The new suites and club area highlight the additions, though the extra $40 million will also cover technology upgrades, new exterior restrooms, changes to the fixtures and art in the design, and more. Construction remains on track for a July 31, 2020 completion, ahead of both the Raiders and UNLV’s seasons.
Rendering courtesy Las Vegas Stadium Co.
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