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23 July 2024stadium
Jul 23, 2024
The final designs have been unveiled for the new headquarters of the Adelaide Football Club at Thebarton Oval, with work expected to commence this year.
With inspiration gleaned from international teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, along with other AFL clubs, the two-storey, 150-metre long building will wrap around Thebarton Oval in Adelaide’s west.
A cafe and Members’ Lounge will provide all-day casual dining and drinks and include both indoor and outdoor seating.
A dedicated function centre will feature prime viewing of the oval while an integrated and interactive museum throughout the front foyer will offer a trip down memory lane for dedicated Crows fans and Members.
Both indoor and outdoor training facilities will also have dedicated vantage points for facility guests to view AFL and AFLW training.
The Crows first identified Thebarton Oval as their headquarters home in August 2022, after announcing plans for a base in the Adelaide Parklands in 2019.
The AFL club has been located at Football Park since it entered the AFL in 1991, and has continued to be based at the West Lakes venue since it hosted its last AFL game in 2013 and its grandstands demolished in 2019.
The Crows secured the lease to Thebarton in December 2023 and will take over from the SANFL who are currently based at the ground and are set to relocate to West Lakes, recently announcing the development of a new $26 million facility at the former AFL venue.
Key Highlights of the Crows HQ include:
The redeveloped Thebarton Oval will also feature lights for night matches and host AFLW home games for the Crows.
Adelaide Football Club Chairman John Olsen said the Club was excited to embark on the next phase of the journey.
“We’ve had our share of challenges however, we are now embarking on a really exciting phase where we can start to bring to life what has been years in the making,” Olsen said.
“It’s fair to say perseverance has paid off - we have a long-term lease and recently received the green light from the state planning authority.
“In a very competitive league structured around equalisation measures, having a state-of-the-art facility is a way to create legitimate high performance advantages for our players and coaches.
“It will be a place which our members and supporters, and everyone associated with our club, can talk about and visit and feel genuinely proud. Most importantly, it will be somewhere we can all come together – a place for us to call home.
“We are building a home befitting of the biggest sporting club in the state.”
Work is expected to commence on the site towards the end of the year.
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Commanders’ $3.8B D.C. Stadium Nears Key Council VoteThe Commanders’ planned return to the District of Columbia is up for another vote Wednesday, and this time, the proposed $3.8 billion project is expected to face far less drama.
The Council of the District of Columbia initially approved about $1.1 billion in public funding on Aug. 1 for a domed facility and mixed-use development on the grounds of RFK Stadium, the NFL team’s former home. Now, that measure is back for a second and final vote as a result of local rules requiring the multistage process to approve legislation.
D.C. council chair Phil Mendelson reiterated Tuesday that he believes he still has the necessary votes to complete the Commanders’ stadium funding. The first reading of the bill passed by a 9–3 vote, but only after considerable debate and significant modifications to the original proposal, and a similar sentiment is expected this time. In this second reading of the bill, a straight majority of “yes” votes among the 13-member council, amounting to seven votes, is required for passage.
Expected changes to the bill include establishing further clarity around specific milestone dates within the broader redevelopment of the RFK Stadium campus.
“We can focus on the negative, that the Commanders are supposedly ne’er-do-wells, or we can focus on the positive, the reality, which is that this is a very attractive development opportunity,” Mendelson said.
In addition to the forthcoming amendments, the second vote will include the return of Ward 8 council member Trayon White, who was previously expelled from the council following an indictment on bribery charges. White then won a special election to reclaim his seat and was sworn back into the legislative body.
The Commanders are set to contribute at least $2.7 billion toward the stadium and are responsible for all cost overruns. The team and District leaders are aiming for a 2030 opening for the new venue.
The team is also part of a fast-growing stadium development wave across the NFL. In addition to projects for the Bills and Titans that are well into active construction, teams such as the Bears, Broncos, and Browns are all actively pursuing new venues, and others, such as the Eagles, are considering ones as well.
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16 September 20252 min readCommanders’ $3.8B D.C. Stadium Nears Key Council Vote
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16 September 2025
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Construction Begins On $130 Million Utas Stadium RedevelopmentWork is officially underway on the main construction phase of the $130 million redevelopment of UTAS Stadium in Launceston, marking a major milestone in Tasmania’s journey towards entering the AFL.
Jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, who are each contributing $65 million, the project aims to transform the historic York Park venue into a modern, elite-level stadium while continuing to serve the local community.
Tasmanian firm Fairbrother has been awarded the contract to deliver the extensive works, which will include the construction of a new Centre West Stand, a revamped Eastern Stand, and significant upgrades to amenities for players and fans.
Stadiums Tasmania CEO James Avery said the commencement of this stage signals the most significant progress yet in the redevelopment timeline, ensuring the project remains on track and within budget. He emphasised the importance of creating a venue that meets the needs of both professional sport and community use.
During the 2026 AFL season, the stadium’s capacity will temporarily drop to around 9,000 while work progresses. Once new seating areas are completed in 2027, that number is expected to increase to approximately 17,000.
Demolition of the existing Centre West Stand begins the week commencing 15th September 2025.
Despite the ongoing construction, the venue will continue hosting major events including Hawthorn’s AFL games, AFLW fixtures, and Tasmania Football Club VFL matches.
Fairbrother Chairman Craig Edmunds said his company was proud to play a leading role in such a landmark Tasmanian project. He highlighted the economic benefits for the region, saying the redevelopment would support local jobs and showcase Northern Tasmania’s construction capabilities.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our people, subcontractors, and suppliers to be part of something that is both professionally rewarding and significant for the state,” Edmunds said.
The project is scheduled for completion in October 2027, positioning UTAS Stadium as a key piece of infrastructure for the future of elite sport in Tasmania.
The Main Works package includes:
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15 September 20252 min readConstruction Begins On $130 Million Utas Stadium Redevelopment
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15 September 2025
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University Of Kansas Unveils $400M Stadium RedevelopmentThe University of Kansas has officially unveiled the extensively redeveloped David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, following a $400 million renovation project delivered by Turner Construction.
Serving as the centrepiece of the university’s wider Gateway District development in Lawrence, the stadium has been transformed through a combination of partial demolition and structural rebuilding. The revitalised venue now features upgraded press boxes, new club and premium suites, modern concessions, retail areas, and a purpose-built fan experience zone.
A striking new entrance at 11th and Mississippi Street now provides a gateway to the campus and the wider community.
Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff praised the contractor’s commitment in meeting the project’s challenging schedule. “We are so grateful to Turner Construction for their incredible efforts on the transformed David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium,” Goff said.
“It was inspiring to watch the countless Turner employees work tirelessly regardless if it was snowing or a blistering 100-degree heat. They completed the job on time, on budget and in a first-class fashion.”
Designed as more than just a football venue, the stadium will operate year-round as a hub for conferences, entertainment, dining and retail. This includes a new 55,000-square-foot conference centre — an amenity the university highlights as long overdue in the region.
The redevelopment also extended to the Anderson Family Football Complex, with Turner carrying out renovations and expansions to the team’s offices and training facilities, originally built by the contractor in 2008.
This latest project further strengthens Turner’s long-standing partnership with the University of Kansas, which spans more than two dozen initiatives.
Jason Brown, Project Executive at Turner, reflected on the magnitude of the construction effort. “Together, they worked around the clock, safely logging more than 1.6 million work hours,” he said.
“Their tireless commitment and craftsmanship have helped create a destination that will serve KU fans, students, and the community for generations to come.”
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04 September 20252 min readUniversity Of Kansas Unveils $400M Stadium Redevelopment
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04 September 2025
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Daily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!Charlotte Athletics broke ground on the Jerry Richardson Stadium Expansion on Wednesday, Aug. 27, marking the start of a highly anticipated transformation to the stadium.Director of Athletics Mike Hill, University Chancellor Dr. Sharon L. Gaber, and Congressman and UNC Charlotte alumnus Richard Hudson spoke to the gathered dignitaries and Niner Nation before the trio was joined by former State Representative Jason Saine, and two members of the University's Board of Trustees, Dr. Sasha Weintraub, and Larry Shaheen for the ceremonial groundbreaking, which fittingly took place with pickaxes instead of shovels."What an incredible day for Charlotte Athletics, for our University, and our community," Hill said. "The response to our expansion plan has been nothing short of tremendous. Today, those plans begin to take shape. Over the next two seasons, with as little interruption to the game-day experience as possible, our team will be hard at work delivering something truly special."
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Wisconsin Athletics announced the naming of its indoor practice facility – the Kellner Family Athletic Center, in honor of Ted ('69) and Mary ('68) Kellner and their family on Thursday. The new facility, currently under construction, represents the largest capital project in Wisconsin Athletics' history at a cost to build of $285M. "The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been such a major part of my family's life, teaching us lessons and allowing us to be part of something bigger than just sports," said Ted Kellner. "To now be able to make a life-changing impact on current and future student-athletes, who will be tomorrow's leaders in society – we couldn't be more proud to support and humbled by the honor."All 23 varsity sports will utilize the Kellner Family Athletic Center, which will include a 120 yard indoor turf field, strength and conditioning center, 305 meter training track, student-athlete dining hall, sports medicine center, locker rooms, coaching offices and student-athlete well-being spaces. The facility will be adjacent to the Stephen M. Bennett Student-Athlete Performance Center, where student-athletes receive academic advising, tutoring, career support, mental health services and post-graduate preparation
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The Savannah Chatham County Public School System hosted a ribbon cutting earlier Thursday for a new athletic facility and police annex.
The school district says this is part of their commitment to creating a safe supportive space where students can thrive.
The new police annex includes administrative offices conference and training space as well as command operations support.
Deputy Police Chief Rodriguez told WTOC that being right across the street from groves high school is a good feeling incase there ever was an emergency at the school.
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29 August 20253 min readDaily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!
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29 August 2025
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Daily Digs: Penn State Opens Indoor Sports Complex, Houston'S $130M Football Operations Center, And More!With the return of all 800-plus varsity student-athletes for the fall semester, Penn State Athletics officially opened the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex Monday. The facility, designed by DLR Group, provides varsity student-athletes across all 31 varsity sports with a centralized location for performance dining, wellness and recovery and academics. In addition to the Morgan Academic Center, the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex is now home to the newly completed Performance Dining Center and Wellness and Recovery Center.
Greenberg’s Performance Dining Center, located on the upper level, features a state-of-the-art dining center with a full-service commercial kitchen producing meals tailored to the fueling needed for varsity athletes to perform at the highest level. The dining spaces include quiet study areas, small team meeting rooms, a large communal gathering area and a sports lounge.
The lower level of the Greenberg Indoor Sport Complex houses a comprehensive athletics medicine and recovery suite. The space features prehabilitation, rehabilitation and recovery areas. Among the equipment available for student-athletes to utilize are a hydrotherapy pool, red light beds, dry float beds, hyberbaric chamber, massage chairs and therapy, saunas and zero gravity chair.
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The University of Houston kicks off the 2025 football season with the unveiling of its new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center. DLR Group and architectural partner Page designed the 158,000-square-foot transformation. The $130 million project is multifaceted, comprising of an all-encompassing football development facility, new in-stadium premium hospitality offerings, a rooftop terrace, and a new videoboard. The three-story facility strategically frames the west end of TDECU Stadium, which creates an elite in-stadium gameday experience for all.
UH gave Eyewitness Sports a detailed look at the beautiful new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center.
T.J. Meagher, Senior Athletics Director for Facilities, oversaw the construction of the $130 million facility, designed by DLR Group, which was finished ahead of schedule and on budget with two things in mind: the student athlete and efficiency.
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Pickleball continues to dominate the sports’ world. Following the opening of two hit Houston pickleball destinations, Drop Shots HTX and Solarium, a new pickleball facility has made its debut. As the city’s first dedicated indoor pickleball venue, Pickle Mania at Lyric Market offers seven climate-controlled courts, tournaments, professional-led clinics, and more.
Founded by Houston husband-and-wife team, TK and LaTonia Kent, Pickle Mania is the city’s newest pickleball destination. Located inside Downtown’s Lyric Market, the venue provides access to the market’s full bar and restaurant offerings.
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26 August 20253 min readDaily Digs: Penn State Opens Indoor Sports Complex, Houston'S $130M Football Operations Center, And More!
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26 August 2025
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$2B A’S Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, On Track For 2028The A’s are not just moving dirt around in Las Vegas, as some have suggested, and they say there will be visible progress on their planned ballpark in the coming weeks.
Two months after a high-profile stadium groundbreaking along the famed Las Vegas Strip, club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority that several key development milestones are planned for between now and November, including the beginning of vertical construction. Already, foundation pilings have been installed as part of extensive preparatory work. Hundreds of construction workers are now active on the site each day, the club said.
“I would hope that we start seeing [vertical work] by the end of September, or early October,” A’s president Marc Badain told the authority. “Some of that prep work has already been done, but there’s obviously so many things you can do until the permitting is in place. But as soon as we get that, we’ll see the concrete get poured, and some of the decks will get poured. There’s rebar in place, so you’ll get to see the foundation of the building start to take shape.”
The stadium remains targeted to open in early 2028. In the meantime, the A’s are playing in Sacramento, where there have been numerous operational challenges, and the club has sunk to last place in the American League West division despite heightened spending on players relative to prior years. Oakland ranks 26th in MLB with a luxury-tax payroll of $111.6 million.
The forthcoming stadium, meanwhile, is certain to approach $2 billion in final cost, if not surpass it, something generally anticipated after the A’s unveiled the rather unconventional “spherical armadillo” design last year. Prior cost projections had started at $1.5 billion, and then moved to $1.75 billion.
The A’s and owner John Fisher are responsible for all costs beyond the $380 million in previously approved public support. There has been a lengthy consideration of selling stakes in the club, but regardless of the final outcome there, Badain said the costs will be covered.
The team has already signed Aramark Sports + Entertainment as a club investor, and that company will also be the ballpark’s concessionaire.
“What John committed to was that there would be a public contribution, and he would make sure that the rest was available,” said stadium authority chair Steve Hill. “Nothing has changed along those lines.”
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22 August 20252 min read$2B A’S Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, On Track For 2028
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22 August 2025
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Browns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace TurbulenceLong before ground is broken on the Browns’ planned $2.4 billion domed stadium in suburban Brook Park, Ohio, the club has faced a series of legal and financial obstacles to the project. Now, yet another hurdle is coming through the air, so to speak.
The NFL team has received formal notice from the Ohio Department of Transportation that it is not issuing a permit for the planned Brook Park stadium because it would interfere with air traffic at nearby Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The Browns, owned by Haslam Sports Group, plan to recess the stadium about 80 feet into the ground, but still top out at 221 feet above ground. That plan, however, is 58 feet higher than the maximum allowable height for that location, according to ODOT’s aviation office.
“Please contact our office to request a permit at these reduced heights,” ODOT wrote in a letter to HSG representatives. “This structure may also be permitted at your proposed height at another location further away from the airport.”
The Browns and HSG say they are “confused” by ODOT’s notice, and the basis for it, particularly given that they already received Federal Aviation Administration clearance for the project—provided there are red lights on the roof to help guide passing pilots. The FAA, however, has no jurisdiction over local zoning.
The team has a series of options in addition to altering the stadium plan, including requesting a formal appeal of the ruling.
“We’ve already begun working collaboratively with ODOT to explain the stadium’s heights and the detailed work we’ve done more fully, which shows no safety or efficiency issues to the airport,” said HSG spokesman Peter John-Baptiste in a statement. “We look forward to resolving this matter expeditiously and continuing our work to bring this transformative project to Northeast Ohio.”
Late last month, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said there is “a 99.9% chance” of the Brook Park stadium happening while also acknowledging inherent difficulties around the effort.
“This is a complicated project,” Haslam said. “There’s stuff going on. It’s three and a half years until the stadium opens, and we will have to work hard every day to get everything to come together.”
Other issues surrounding the stadium include a lawsuit challenging the use of unclaimed state funds to support public construction bonds. The city of Cleveland is also fighting the team’s planned departure from the downtown Huntington Bank Field, and some local media are suggesting that Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb is behind the new, aviation-related issue.
“Who runs the airport? The city of Cleveland, Mayor Justin Bibb,” said Cleveland.com editor Chris Quinn. “I think Mayor Justin Bibb has come up with the winning strategy to block this thing because he’s dead set against it.”
Bibb has not acknowledged that, but Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne, another opponent of the Brook Park stadium, also was critical of the potential impact on the airport.
“We cannot emphasize enough that downtown Cleveland is the best location for the stadium, both for the team and the residents of Cuyahoga County,” he said.
The Browns, meanwhile, said Monday that veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, 40, will be the team’s Week 1 starter, ending what had been building intrigue around the decision.
The team has a particularly crowded quarterback room that includes fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders.
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18 August 20253 min readBrowns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace Turbulence
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18 August 2025
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Daily Digs: City'S Plans For $2.5B Sports And Entertainment District, Northwestern'S Temporary Stadium Gets Upgrades, And More!The City of Mansfield released new information on a sweeping $2.5 billion development project for entertainment, sports, and family recreation.
Plans for the Staybolt Street Entertainment District were first announced in 2024, but the city recently revealed the complex will feature a professional multi-sport stadium, hotels, a conference center, a family-friendly amusement complex, retail, dining and housing.
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The second season of Northwestern football on the lakefront is almost here, and improvements to the most unique setting in college football are coming this fall.The Wildcats will play five home games on Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, beginning with the home opener against Western Illinois on Friday, Sept. 5. With upgraded fan amenities, new seating options, and a picturesque lakeside setting, the 2025 football season promises to deliver a one-of-a-kind and memorable experience for all attendees.Premium seating options will be enhanced in 2025, starting with the South Endzone Loge Tables now including all-inclusive food and beverages. New this year, East Prime seating under the video board will be available for all five games, complementing the existing West Prime Sideline seating on the west side. Prime East tickets will also include all-inclusive food and beverages.
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Chandler’s much-anticipated pickleball facility will open at Tumbleweed Park on Sept. 6, exactly one year from the groundbreaking.
Located on the southeast corner of Germann Road and Pioneer Parkway, the new facility offers 18 outdoor pickleball courts with LED lighting, restrooms, practice areas, drinking fountains and a parking lot.
“We appreciate the community’s support and guidance through the design and construction of this new facility,” said John Sefton, community services director. “As pickleball’s popularity has continued to grow, it was clear that Chandler had an opportunity to expand its footprint to accommodate the demand. We’re proud to complete this unique amenity, offering an affordable, accessible and welcoming environment to players of all ages.”
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07 August 20252 min readDaily Digs: City'S Plans For $2.5B Sports And Entertainment District, Northwestern'S Temporary Stadium Gets Upgrades, And More!
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07 August 2025
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Browns Push Forward On $2.4B Stadium Despite Political ObstaclesThe Browns’ relationship status with Cuyahoga County, Ohio, is certainly complicated, adding to the drama surrounding the NFL team.
Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said they are fully moving ahead with their planned $2.4 billion domed stadium and mixed-use development in suburban Brook Park, Ohio, despite a series of funding and legal obstacles. How the county will be involved in the effort, if at all, remains quite uncertain.
On one hand, the Haslams said they are prepared to move forward without any financial involvement from the county, despite prior aims of garnering $300 million toward the project from that jurisdiction. Along similar lines, county executive Chris Ronayne said he has no intention of contributing to a project he has frequently called “a boondoggle.”
On the other hand, though, the team still wants to build a relationship with county leaders.
“Now is the time to work together,” Jimmy Haslam said. “Maybe it doesn’t work out with the county, but now’s the time to sit down and see if we can’t work together. This is an important project. I don’t think many other entities are spending $2 billion–plus in this community.”
As the county situation plays out, the Browns’ stadium project is also battling complications on multiple other fronts. There is an active lawsuit related to the team’s plan to draw $600 million from an account of unclaimed state funds. Separately, the city of Cleveland is challenging various components of the team’s current lease for the downtown Huntington Bank Field, even after a separate challenge related to Ohio’s Modell Law was mooted.
The state money is half of what the team had targeted to gain from public sources, with the Haslams originally set to contribute $1.2 billion. There are hopes of gaining $300 million in municipal-level support from Brook Park, leaving a final $300 million unaccounted for.
Amid all of that, Jimmy Haslam said there is “a 99.9% chance” of the Brook Park stadium happening, but he also acknowledged the inherent difficulties. A formal groundbreaking is targeted for early next year in advance of a projected stadium opening in 2029.
“This is a complicated project,” he said. “There’s stuff going on. It’s three and a half years until the stadium opens, and we will have to work hard every day to get everything to come together.
“We’re going to have the groundbreaking regardless,” Jimmy Haslam said. “Let me say this and try to be very respectful of everybody. … We can do the project without the county. I think it’s best if the county and [Haslam Sports Group] work together, O.K.? And I won’t say anything more than that.”
The Browns’ stadium situation is developing as similar ones are unfolding for current and potential NFL facilities in markets such as Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
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30 July 20253 min readBrowns Push Forward On $2.4B Stadium Despite Political Obstacles
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30 July 2025
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$3.8B Commanders Stadium On Track For D.C. ApprovalWASHINGTON — The Council of the District of Columbia is going deep into the night to hear from its constituents about the Commanders’ proposed $3.8 billion domed facility at the site of RFK Stadium, but the bill is on track for passage due in no small part to the political evolution of the council’s chairman.
The council began two days of hearings on legislation to build the stadium and redevelop the RFK property with about $1.1 billion in public funds, with Tuesday’s session devoted entirely to testimony from the public. More than 500 citizens had registered to be public witnesses, and the council planned to be in session at least until midnight.
Wednesday’s session, beginning just hours later, will be centered on testimony from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and representatives from the Commanders. The sessions are happening just days after D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson, following negotiations with the team, restructured the bill to redirect as much as $950 million in stadium- and development-related revenue back to the District.
As the first hearing began, hundreds of residents on both sides of the stadium funding debate held signs and chanted in front of council headquarters. Many of the same arguments in what was called by one resident “the classic jocks versus nerds debate” then played out inside throughout Tuesday. Advocates championed potential job creation and redevelopment on Washington’s east side and the return of the team to its “spiritual home,” while opponents questioned the need for public money to support an NFL team estimated to be worth $6.3 billion.
Amid that, several council members touted the stadium’s potential impact on a blighted area of the nation’s capital, even as they questioned certain deal points.
“I see this as much more than a stadium, but an opportunity to build up people and community,” said council chair pro tempore Kenyan McDuffie. “I’ve heard from countless residents: Bring the team home.”
The council is set to take the first of two scheduled votes on the stadium funding on Friday, with a second to follow in September. While some council members professed themselves on Tuesday to still be undecided, at least five solid “yes” votes exist on the council, two short of the necessary threshold.
“I am confident we will have the votes necessary,” Mendelson said.
A 27-year veteran of the council, Mendelson, a Democrat, was firmly against more than $600 million in public funding toward the construction of Nationals Park more than two decades ago. He was one of six “no” votes in a razor-thin 7–6 decision to develop the ballpark and allow the Montreal Expos to become the Nationals—but only after the relocation nearly fell apart at multiple points.
No other council member part of that baseball vote is still involved with the legislative body, leaving Mendelson as the longest-tenured official there. Over the past two decades, he has shifted from more of a fringe player known for casting protest votes to a deeply powerful centrist and coalition builder who has helped balance out the more leftward-leaning sentiments of the council, and he has led the body since 2012.
“As I have moved from the end of the council dais to the center, so has my ideology,” Mendelson said.
Also helping shape the changed sports sentiment was the fundamentally different nature of the football deal. Getting the MLB club in Washington required a fully funded stadium, as the league owned the franchise at the time and had near-total leverage to completely dictate terms to relocation candidate markets. Commanders owner Josh Harris, conversely, is funding at least $2.7 billion toward the stadium.
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29 July 20253 min read$3.8B Commanders Stadium On Track For D.C. Approval
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29 July 2025
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Prospective Rays Owner Must Start Fresh As $1.3B Stadium Deal EndsProspective Rays owner Patrick Zalupski, should he succeed in acquiring the MLB club from Stu Sternberg, will officially need to start over in developing a deal for a new venue.
The city of St. Petersburg, Fla., formally terminated the deal to build a $1.3 billion ballpark and mixed-use development. The step was not a surprise given Sternberg walked away from the deal in March, citing increased costs he was not willing to bear alone. The unanimous approval of a termination agreement Thursday, however, means Zalupski and his partners would need to strike an entirely new pact, should they opt to remain in St. Petersburg long-term. As it is, some reports have suggested Zalupski prefers Hillsborough County, where the NFL’s Buccaneers and NHL’s Lightning play, as a future home for the team.
The St. Petersburg deal termination—arriving just over one year from when the pact was approved—critically reverts land redevelopment rights from the Rays back to the city.
“While the Rays’ decision is terribly disappointing, our mission was to adapt and refocus on our primary objective—the progress of our city,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. “The most important element of this is that the development rights of this area, previously held by the Rays since 1995, are now in the hands of the city. This puts us in the strongest position to assure that the future development of the Historic Gas Plant District meets the needs of St. Petersburg.”
Zalupski, meanwhile, has reached an agreement in principle on a $1.7 billion deal for the Rays, something MLB commissioner Rob Manfred briefly referenced last week at the league’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.
“I have no reason to quibble with or dispute the reports that have been out there,” he said.
A deal, however, won’t be too soon for some local officials.
“Cheap Stu. The Yankees and Phillies have spent millions of their own $ on their spring training stadiums in recent years, while Stu has to sit back and watch everyone else pay for his stadium,” said Pinellas County commissioner Chris Latvala, a frequent critic of Sternberg, in a social media post. “He can’t leave soon enough.”
St. Petersburg officials, meanwhile, are making more progress on repairing the hurricane-damaged, city-owned Tropicana Field so the Rays can return there next year.
Already, preparations have begun to install new roof fabric to replace what was shredded last fall by Hurricane Milton, with that particularly visible part of the job scheduled to be done late this year. The city council, after legally ending the deal for the new stadium Thursday, also approved $5.2 million in electrical and lighting repairs for Tropicana Field.
While the Rays are playing this year at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the Yankees, the club intends to return to Tropicana Field next year, and confidence is growing both with MLB and the city that it will be achievable.
The league plans to release the 2026 schedule next month, and that will give some further clues. An early-season slate that is front-loaded with away games would give crews more time to finish the work. The interim stay at the open-air Tampa stadium this year had the inverse situation, with the Rays playing a large chunk of home games in April and May to avoid the brunt of midsummer Florida heat.
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25 July 20253 min readProspective Rays Owner Must Start Fresh As $1.3B Stadium Deal Ends
Front Office Sports
25 July 2025
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Commanders Restructure $3.8B Stadium Pact Ahead Of Council VoteIn the urgent push to complete the Commanders’ $3.8 billion stadium deal with the District of Columbia as soon as possible, the NFL team has agreed to a series of substantive changes that improve the pact for the public sector.
The Josh Harris–owned Commanders agreed to a series of deal revisions for the project at the RFK Stadium site that will redirect as much as $950 million back to the D.C. over a 30-year period—particularly through venue-related parking and sales taxes and non-game parking revenue that now will flow to the local government. Additionally, a new funding plan will restructure some of the debt financing and save D.C. tens of millions in interest costs.
The changes arrive just before two days of scheduled public hearings on the deal on July 29 and 30. D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson said Thursday morning he will bring the matter to a full council vote on Aug. 1, just after those hearings. Approval by the full body is now expected, particularly in the wake of the changed deal terms.
“We feel we have a much-improved agreement,” Mendelson said. “It’s clear that the Commanders showed through their negotiations their commitment to the District, and their willingness to consider what’s in the best interest of our citizens.”
The reworked pact additionally includes a specified $50 million in community benefits, with the team helping fund local youth sports programs, and a plan to build about 6,000 housing units on the stadium campus, up from a prior minimum of 5,000. As a result, the overall deal expands materially beyond what was originally agreed to in April. The plan to construct a domed facility at the RFK Stadium site, where the team previously played from 1961 to 1996, remains the single-largest private investment in District history.
The frenetic sprint to complete the stadium agreement arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump last weekend said he wants the Commanders to revert to their prior nickname, and threatened to kill the stadium deal should they refuse. Trump’s power to actually do so remains limited, but his comments appear to have sparked a heightened urgency among the deal principals.
“The team was willing to improve the deal considerably in return for the earlier vote,” Mendelson said.
After staying silent through this week’s nickname saga, the Commanders applauded Mendelson’s latest move.
“Through this process, we’ve seen firsthand how committed our city’s leaders are to building a strong future for the District,” said Commanders president Mark Clouse. “With the Council’s announcement today, the opportunity to bring the team back to its spiritual home and revitalize a critical part of the nation’s capital is now one step closer.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who previously sounded alarms over perceived delays in the approval process, similarly cheered the move to get a council vote scheduled.
“We’re not trading housing for a stadium—we’re using the momentum of the stadium to build more housing,” she said. “It’s a win for our team, our city, and our residents.”
As the Commanders’ situation has developed, other federal officials have pressed D.C. leaders to complete the deal. Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, wrote to Mendelson last week, imploring him to complete the deal as soon as possible. Comer was a key part of a prior agreement to transfer control of the RFK Stadium property from federal authorities to the D.C. government.
An opening of the new facility remains targeted for 2030.
Front Office Sports
stadium
24 July 20253 min readCommanders Restructure $3.8B Stadium Pact Ahead Of Council Vote
Front Office Sports
24 July 2025
stadium