Minnesota Vikings Stadium News

Heard about this on the blog http://stadium-love-.tumblr.com/

Via the Penalty Flag 

Long have the Minnesota Vikings needed state funding for a new place to call home, now they have the architect and concept images of what future NFL stadiums could represent. 

According to TwinCities.com, Dallas-based HKS Inc., which designed the new Dallas Cowboys stadium as well as Lucas Oil in Indianapolis, was hired to build the $975 million facility for the Vikings in downtown Minneapolis. 

“Those two facilities are among the greatest in the world, and we’re very, very excited about taking what they’ve learned and what they’ve done and improving upon those projects and bringing that to Minnesota,” said Lester Bagley, the Vikings’ vice president of public affairs and stadium development. 

HKS will be paid $34 million, which includes payments to sub consultants as well. Drawings of what the new stadium will look like will likely be unveiled in January or February of next year, officials said. 

HKS was a joint pick by the team and the public stadium authority that was created after the Legislature approved $348 million in state money for the project. 

The Vikings are contributing $477 million, and the city of Minneapolis will pitch in $150 million. The facility will replace the Metrodome, the team’s current home on the eastern edge of downtown. It is expected to open in 2016. 

The authority released two conceptual designs Friday showing HKS’s ideas for the Vikings facility, but Kelm-Helgen said the stadium would likely look very different from those drawings. She said that beginning in October, the authority will have several meetings to hear how the public would like the stadium to look.

I mean, damn. Look at that concept.

New Rays Stadium Proposal

The Rays are back at it again sorta

 A group of developers proposed a new Rays stadium located in the business park named Carillon in north north St. Pete near the airport. The proposal is on the other side of the highway from my concept, if you need help visualizing. This one would cost roughly $600 million, with the developer putting up $150 million and the Rays believed to be willing to put up another $150 million. The Rays, aren't involved with this particular plan. It's just something a developer has come up with. 

St. Petersburg's City Council held a special two-hour meeting Friday to hear the proposal and hopes to get a new stadium built in St. Petersburg, as opposed to across Tampa Bay in Tampa. The proposal is beautiful, and planning to have around 35,000 seats. Actual businesses will be built into the side of the ballpark. The plan is to have business go on during the day, and then come gametime the parking lots around the stadium to be cleared and be available for parking. On top of that, Disney-style trams will go around making the walk not bad. Plus the renderings are pretty.

Many people want them to build the stadium in downtown Tampa. Thing is, the developers did a study on population and travel time and found that in this location across the bay from Tampa would have the most people within 30 minutes. So all of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete could essentially drive there in a half hour. Sound familiar? But the Rays should take this seriously, the proposal is still in the St Pete city limits, and there is already bars and businesses all around that could host fans before and after games. 

I just hope this gets done coming from a huge fan.

New Redwings Arena?

The Detroit Red Wings are moving ahead in their hopes of building a new downtown arena and have selected an architect, according to a report by Sports Business Journal.
SBJ's Don Muret cites three sources in saying the Red Wings have hired HKS, an international firm headquartered in Dallas. HKS will work with Chan Krieger NBBJ, a Boston architect specializing in urban developments, according to Sports Business Journal.
HKS officials did not comment and Karen Cullen, a corporate spokeswoman for the Red Wings, told Muret there was nothing new and added "our organization has been on record saying we’d like to have a new arena in downtown Detroit."
HKS was co-designer of American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
According to Sports Business Journal, the Red Wings would like their new arena to seat 18,000 and the team has explored multiple sites downtown.
Joe Louis Arena, owned by the city of Detroit, is 33 years old.

 So finally the Redwings can move into a new shiny arena, on the day I post a Redwings concept on my other blog. I posted about it before, so I'm happy they might move out of their old arena.

I copied the story from here.
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2012/05/report_red_wings_choose_archit.html

Vikings Stadium news

As you know, the Vikings are currently stuck in one of the worst stadiums in America. The long stadium drama may have just had a resolution. Minnesota's governor Mark Dayton has announced that an agreement was reached to build a new stadium on the site of the Metrodome. The 975 million dollar plan would be modeled after Lucas Oil Stadium, which you can see from the above picture.

If they build it on the spot the dome is now, they would have to play at TCF Bank Stadium, on the campus of Minnesota during the final year of construction.

Atleast they have their plan together! They were a team with a good chance to move to LA, or have a stadium not even in the Twin Cities(A surrounding suburb). Hopefully someone down here can do figure it out for the Rays.

New Impact Stadium

So Montreal is getting their MLS team this summer. Here is their stadium before

And here is what it will eventually look like this season!

The team will expand Stade Saputo from 13,034 seats, to 20,341, by building large stands that wrap around 3 sides of the field. As you can see from the pictures above, one side will remain the same, with the 17 million dollar renovations taking place. 

The Impact are going to be the only tennant. The stadium is too small for the CFL's standards, so that rules out the Alouettes. They'll remain in the 25k seat Molson Stadium that was built in 1925. 

Here are some pictures of the building process, and renderings on Stadium Porn.

Tulane's Stadium Proposal

Tulane is in the process of raising money for a new on-campus football stadium. The stadium will seat 30,000 fans. It will be the first on campus stadium since the mid 70s, when was used for not just Tulane, but the Saints and  Super Bowl 4 & 6.

Some things I noticed from the renderings, they have a party deck in one of the corners, which is unique. There is also a scoreboard in a corner of the endzone. The whole stadium is completely enclosed, and sort of is like a soccer specific stadium. The concourses empty at field level, and the fans have to climb up. 

I think it will be a nice stadium, and get the team out of the Superdome. If you want to read up on the stadium, here is the official website! http://www.tulanestadium.com/

National Stadium: Warsaw

 Poland's new National Soccer Stadium is almost done! The opening game of Euro 2012 will take place at Warsaw’s new 58,000 capacity National Stadium, now almost completed. It will also host two other group matches, a quarter-final and a semi-final.

 The outdoors is paneling that make the Poland flag. Which is really nice for the new National Stadium. Even though it's very similar to the new major stadiums popping up in Europe, and the renovations at BC Place stadium in Vancouver

There are some additional pictures over at Stadium Porn, which you should look through!

Wrigley Field Triangle Building

A proposed idea for the triangle lot adjacent to Wrigley Field along the 3rd base grandstand - a thesis project developed with the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. Really dig the ideas, renderings, floor plans, and elevations for this Triangle Building to enhance the Wrigley Field experience.

 The main idea is to liven up the Wrigley experience, since the stadium is starting to ware down. It features a lot of things such as a Cubs Museum, Pro Shop, and a deck at the very top that connects.

It's a proposal, but it looks VERY nice.

Read more about the project here, and look at more views here.

New Blue Bombers Stadium

In honor of the Grey Cup today, I will make some posts about the new era in CFL stadiums!

Tonight's game is at the renovated BC Place, which hosted it's first game in September. It is the first step into making the CFL more modern. The BC Lions are playing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, which are getting a new stadium next season.

I've had my eyes on this for a while, because they've had this plan for a few years. However they revised the plans, and dropped the arches. The stadium of 34k will be like a miniature version of a stadium like LP field or Raymond James. Upper decks on the sidelines, with a lower bowl on the endzone.

There was an option to view a virtual stadium on their website, but it isn't working now. They do have this demo video, which shows it pretty good, minus the overhangs.


The Bombers are one of the teams with a stadium well overdue to be replaced. Built in 1957, Canad Inns Stadium is part of the stadium trend being phased out for the better.

Later tonight, I will post about the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' situation.

New Baylor Plans?

A few weeks ago, Baylor announced the plans of building a new on-campus state of the art football stadium. The stadium will replace Floyd Casey Stadium. Floyd Casey is off campus, and one of the smaller ones in the Big 12 at 50,000 seats. This whole thing was being led by head coach Art Briles, who wants the hot Bears to have an on campus stadium so their students can be closer to games.

A few things. The open ended stadium will have a view of the river, and campus. There will be a pedestrian bridge from Baylor, across the river to land that the University purchased from the city of Waco. Pedestrian bridges are great, any Titans fans would know. You park once at a major location(ie Baylor, Nashville), and walk to the stadium. After the game, you walk back, without having to move your car.

Lastly, it will be roof, which very few teams have. But some shade in September in the middle of Texas isn't a bad thing.

Populous does the best work on stadiums, no denying that.

Future(?) NFL Stadiums?

Sup? A while ago, I was looking on worldstadiums.com, and under future stadiums, there was all these NFL ones. Now armed with a stadium blog, I thought that I could post some of them here. But they're gone! But have no fear! I found them on ballparks.com. The first 3 were on there, but apparently they fell through. Which is a shame, the Metrodome, Superdome, and San Diego Stadium are all outdated. Until recently, these team's future was uncertain. The Saints now have a bunch of new fans(that's all I'm saying), but the Vikes and Chargers are still talking about possibly moving. If these went trough, no way they would, but they didn't.

San Diego Chargers


New Orleans Saints(LOVE this one)


Minnesota Vikings


This is what the 49ers want to do. They're unhappy with Candelstick park, and want to build a new stadium in Santa Clara. 58% of the vote went their way, so this looks very possible. The NFL asked if the Raiders would want to share maybe, similar to the Jets/Giants, but I doubt that happens.

San Francisco 49ers


The Kansas City Cheifs want to remodel Arrowhead stadium, similar to the cross-parkinglot Royals


Where would these teams go if they can't land a new stadium? Obviously LA. THis one is very cool, it is connected to a large shopping place, similar to Dubai Sports City. Here is a video of it.


This is new to me. Apparently people wanted to redo the Coliseum, which would be neat. But I'd prefer the one above.


BAM there is the post! I'll think of more to do.

Silverdome to go Topless?

The Silverdome was sold last year for under 600,000 dollars, purchased by Steve Apostolopoulos of Triple Sports and Entertainment, and he has some radical ideas for the ol' dome. They would tear off the Silverdome's air-supported roof and divide the place horizontally into two levels with a new floor across what is now the middle deck. Atop this would sit an outdoor soccer field with less than half the current seats. Below it would be smaller spaces for basketball and hockey games or other events.

It's difficult to imagine, but maybe this will help. If you have a ticket in the front row of the upper deck, with this proposed layout, you could lean over the railing and get an autograph, or catch a player doing a "Lambeau Leap."

The main goal is to attract an MLS team to Detroit. It could work, I'd love to see them pull off the renovations to the dome.

Dubai Sports City

Or, otherwise known as the coolest thing ever.


One day in Dubai, they got bored and decided to build the coolest thing ever. A 50 million square foot development named Dubai Sports City. The area will have a cricket stadium, an athletics stadium, field hockey fields, indoor stadium, and an 18 hole golf course designed by Earnie Els. On top of that, a huge mall, and apartments. Here is a model.


But, just watch the video. It is mind blowing.

Silver State Arena

In Las Vegas, there are plans down to build a new arena to maybe draw a sports team there. The project is called the Silver State Arena, and would be located where the closed Wet 'n' Wild is. What they're saying is that it would bring 10,000 new jobs to Nevada which would help a lot. The stadium would be 844,306 square feet, and would hold up to 23,014 for basketball games. Here is an aerial view of the model.

Some teams that could possibly move there are the Sacramento Kings, or maybe a hockey team down on their luck. The Kings' had the second lowest attendance in the NBA last season, and the owners of the team own a hotel in Las Vegas already. Several years ago, the NBA's All-Star Game was hosted at the UNLV basketball arena. I think that if this does get built, some team would be loured there. Plus, the video board is 360 degrees.

Thoughts? I think it'd be very cool. Here is the site for the plans.

Qatar Bid 2022

Qatar entered a bid for the 2022 World Cup. It's one of those Middle Eastern oil rich countries, that means they can come up with some crazy stuff. The 5 stadiums they designed for the bid look fantastic. Here is the link to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcAi3GLQyOI
What do you think? If the US doesn't get the bid, I hope it goes here.