Packers $130 Million Expansion to Lambeau Field Includes 6,600 New Seats
Jeff Alexander
Aug 25, 2011 6:38 PM CDT
"We feel this is a crucial step for insuring the Packers remain competitive in the future," Packers president Mark Murphy announced Thursday.
The Green Bay Packers have good news for the 81,000 fans on the waiting list for season tickets.
The team unveiled expansion plans Thursday for the south end zone of Lambeau Field with four levels of seating, totaling 6,600 new seats.
When completed, Lambeau Field will be the fourth-largest venue in all of pro football, with a seating capacity of just under 80,000.
With a new, $12 million audio and video system already in the works, the Packers announced plans for another $130 million in improvements for the storied stadium.
"This is an icon. I mean, this stadium is the best stadium in the NFL and we want to make sure when you renovate, when you expand, we want to make sure we do it right," Murphy said.
There are two main areas of focus in the plans. First, the team is building up the south end zone putting in 6,600 new seats and a new gate outside.
The Packers are also adding a new gate outside the north end zone, along with a rooftop viewing terrace for club seat holders on game days and for special events on other days.
"We'll have additional elevators, escalators. We hear complaints from fans about it's difficult to get into the stadium sometimes. We think this will alleviate some of the congestion," Murphy said.
Murphy calls it a project that will benefit fans, the team and the community. The Packers estimate the two-year project will employ 1,600 workers and when completed will generate an additional $11 million a year for the local economy.
"We're also excited from a football standpoint," he said. "We think this will create a tremendous home field advantage. All of these seats will be outside, and we're building it, the design in a way to maximize crowd noise."
The Packers say season ticket holders will get the first option to exchange their current seats for the new ones.
After that, fans on the waiting list will be offered a chance to purchase any seats remaining in the new section or those vacated in the stadium bowl.
It's the first major work at Lambeau since the renovation a decade ago, but this time the Packers say there won't be any tax dollars involved. They plan to fund the project themselves through traditional borrowing, a user fee for the new seats, and a potential stock sale.
"That's what put us in a financial position over the last nine years and today. That allows us to borrow, to tap into our own funds, and to invest in the stadium, and we're very proud to be able to do that and humbled that we can only do that because the taxpayers in the community stepped up and gave us a hand when we needed it," Murphy said.
Groundbreaking for the project is set for September 1st, with the majority of work to begin after this season. It's expected to be complete by the 2013 season.
These suckers are expanding their stadium capacity but our team has the NFL's smallest stadium. Disgraceful.....