With the lease up in 2027, the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and the Maryland Stadium Authority are discussing a new agreement in the context of M&T Bank Stadium upgrades.
On the wish list for the Ravens: new lower-level premium seating and better access to the growing Warner Street corridor. The two sides have been working with sports-architecture firm Populous on M&T Bank Stadium upgrades. Populous is certainly familiar with the M&T Bank Stadium; in 2019 the firm mapped out a $120-million M&T Bank Stadium renovation. The changes could come sooner than later when it comes to the end of the lease, meaning that lease could be extended as part of stadium upgrades. From the Baltimore Sun:
The NFL club’s lease, which was signed in 1997, isn’t up until after the 2027 season, but the team and the Maryland Stadium Authority began preliminary talks last summer on “an extended lease,” team president Dick Cass said in an interview.
“The Ravens are very focused on gameday fan experience and don’t want to wait five years to plan more stadium upgrades,” said Thomas Kelso, the authority’s chairman….
This time, the Kansas City-based [Populous] has been asked to “help us determine what changes we need to make in order to keep M&T Bank Stadium a first-class NFL stadium for 10 to 15 years after the expiration of our current lease,” Cass said.
While both Oriole Park (which is in line for its own renovations) and M&T Bank Stadium have been successful as sports venues, they’ve not been as transformative as city and state officials would like. Hence the goal of opening the stadium to the Warner Street corridor, which includes new entertainment venues.
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