Orlando City Stadium

Orlando City Stadium
Lions Den

Concept Art of the Stadium
Location Church Street and Parramore Avenue, Orlando, Florida[1][2]
Coordinates 28°32′28″N 81°23′23″W / 28.541052°N 81.389731°W / 28.541052; -81.389731Coordinates: 28°32′28″N 81°23′23″W / 28.541052°N 81.389731°W / 28.541052; -81.389731[2][3]
Public transit Church Street Station
21, 62, 319
Owner Orlando City SC
Operator Orlando City SC
Executive suites 31[4]
Capacity 25,500[5]
Acreage 10
Surface Grass
Scoreboard Panasonic[6]
Construction
Broke ground October 16, 2014[7]
Opened 2017[8]
Construction cost $155 million[9]
Architect Populous[10]
Project manager ICON Venue Group[11]
General contractor Barton Malow[11]
Tenants
Orlando City SC (MLS) (2017–future)
Orlando Pride (NWSL) (2017–future)[12]
NCAA Women's College Cup Championship (2017)[13][14]

Orlando City Stadium is an under-construction soccer-specific stadium in downtown Orlando, Florida. It will be the home venue for the Orlando City SC, which entered Major League Soccer (MLS) as an expansion franchise in 2015, and their National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sister club the Orlando Pride. The stadium was expected to cost $110 million, however after announcing updated plans, this cost rose to $155 million. It was originally expected to open for the latter stages of the 2016 MLS season,[15][12] however the stadium's opening has now been pushed back until 2017.[8] Orlando City will play at the Camping World Stadium until its completion.[16]

History

In April 2013, the City of Orlando purchased downtown land for $8.2 million to be used towards the construction of a $110 million MLS soccer stadium.[17] However, in May, the Florida House of Representatives failed to vote on a bill that had passed the Senate that would have provided up to $30 million in state funds towards the stadium project. Rawlins responded by expressing his intent to find alternative funding and keep seeking MLS expansion.[18]

The Orlando downtown soccer stadium moved closer to securing funding on August 8, 2013, when Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer reached an agreement on a deal to provide financial support for a variety of Orlando projects including the new MLS soccer stadium.[19] The last piece in stadium funding was an October 2013 vote on using an existing tourism tax to fund the final quarter of the $80 million stadium project.[20] On October 22, 2013, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted 5–2 to approve the use of $20 million in tourist development tax funds to build an $84 million multi-purpose soccer stadium in downtown Orlando.[21]

On December 11, 2013, the NCAA announced that the 2016 & 2017 NCAA Women's College Cup Championship would be held at the new stadium. [13]

On August 4, 2014, the team announced that the stadium location would be moved one block west, to avoid having a delay to the opening day, due to Faith Deliverance Temple fighting the city's eminent-domain claim. The new location will result in the closure of Parramore Ave. between Church St. and Central Blvd., as the stadium will be built right on top of where the road currently runs.[2][3]

On May 29, 2015, Orlando City SC's owners announced that the stadium would be privately funded by Orlando City SC and not the city. They also announced they would upgrade the stadium's capacity from 19,000 seats, to somewhere between 25,000 and 28,000 seats. The new plan was unveiled on July 31, increasing capacity to 25,500 by adding seats to the south end to maximize seats without major design changes that would set back the project by an additional year.[22]

The club played their 2015 MLS inaugural season home matches at Citrus Bowl.[23] On January 13, 2016, club president Phil Rawlins announced that construction of the team's stadium was taking four months longer than expected and that the team would play all of the 2016 season at the Citrus Bowl.[24]

Design

On December 11, 2012, the team released artistic renderings of the stadium.[25] On September 30, 2013, the architectural firm Woods Bagot released their drawings of the stadium on their website. The team announced that these drawings were released without their knowledge or input, and that they had not selected an architect yet. Woods Bagot proceed to remove the images from their website.[26] The design phase began on January 7, 2014, when Mayor Buddy Dyer and some of the Orlando City SC staff traveled to Kansas City to begin working with the design firm Populous.[10]

The original renderings of the stadium proposed 18,000 seats, including 2,500 club seats. It would also have 300 seats in specialty suites. The stadium’s square footage will be about 290,000 square feet, with 120,000 square feet devoted to the bowl. It is also supposedly going to have bars, retail shops, and restaurants.[27]

On June 10, 2014, renderings of the stadium as well as more information about it were released. The stadium will have an open plaza, where those passing by can see inside, since the field will be 10 feet below street level.[5] It will have a seating capacity of 19,500, with the structural ability to expand to 25,000 in the future. The field will be grass, with canopies over fans to protect them from the elements and to increase noise levels. A four times life size lion sculpture will overlook the entrance.[5] Just before a game begins, the lion will rotate 180° to "watch" the action. A festival plaza lined with palm trees on the south end of the plaza, just outside the main entrance at Church Street and Terry Avenue is planned (the streets will be closed to vehicles during events). A balcony-style bar just below the video scoreboard with a 360° view is planned as well. A seating section on the north end will be dedicated to members of supporters' clubs. As proposed — and if building codes allow — it will have no seats, but rails and extra room for "safe standing". The supporters' section would also have its own "pub-style" area.[4][28]

On November 12, 2014, Heineken announced a partnership with multiple MLS teams, including Orlando City SC, making Heineken the official beer of the team as well as giving Heineken naming rights to the ground level bar on the south side of the stadium. In addition to the announcement, a new rendering of the south side from inside the stadium was released.[29]

On December 17, 2014, it was announced that the club was partnering with Panasonic, making them the Official Technology Partner of the team in exchange for Panasonic providing on-field and fascia LED boards, the main scoreboard on the south end of the field, and dozens of flat panel television screens throughout the stadium in suites, offices and work areas. In addition, Panasonic will provide technology solutions such as security cameras, control room and other key components for the new stadium.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Wiebe, Andrew (November 20, 2013). "Orlando City President Expects New Stadium to Have "Most Intense Atmosphere in the Whole of MLS"". Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Orlando City Soccer announces new stadium location". MyFoxOrlando.com. WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Wiebe, Andrew. "Orlando City SC shift soccer-specific stadium site one block west as city drops eminent-domain claim". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Orlando City Launches Public On-Sale for 2016 Season Tickets; Provides Update on Downtown Stadium". July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "New Stadium". orlandocitysc.com. Orlando City SC. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Orlando City SC Forms Multi-year Partnership with Panasonic". OrlandoCitySC.com. Orlando City SC. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Orlando City Stadium Groundbreaking Set For October 16". orlandocitysoccer.com. Orlando City SC. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Your City Your Stadium: Update on Proposed Stadium Opening". Orlando City Soccer Club. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  9. ↑ Tenorio, Paul (July 31, 2015). "Orlando City reveals new design of $155 million, 25,500-seat stadium". Orlando Sentinel Orlando. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Schlueb, Mark (January 7, 2014). "Architects, Dyer and Lions to Brainstorm Ideas for MLS Stadium Design". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Populous, Barton Malow and ICON Venue Group Announced as Core Members for New Downtown Stadium Project". Orlando City SC. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Orlando City to Launch the Orlando Pride NWSL Team; Announce Head Coach". orlandocitysc.com. Orlando City SC. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "2014–18 NCAA Championship Sites". NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Women's College Cup returning to Cary, North Carolina in 2016". NCAA.com.
  15. ↑ Firchau, Nick (April 21, 2014). "Orlando City SC to Play Entirety of Debut MLS Season at Citrus Bowl, New Stadium to Open in 2016". Major League Soccer. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  16. ↑ Schmitz, Brian (November 19, 2013). "MLS Officially Awards Orlando Soccer Franchise". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Dyer Opens Up About Land Purchase for New MLS Stadium". WFTV (Orlando). April 17, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Orlando City Determined to Join MLS Despite Legislation Impasse in Florida House". Major League Soccer. May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  19. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (August 9, 2013). "Mayors Line Up Behind Orlando Stadium Deal". SoccerAmerica. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  20. ↑ Straus, Brian (September 13, 2013). "MLS Expansion Team Likely Heading Atlanta's Way". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  21. ↑ Schlueb, Mark; Damron, David (October 22, 2013). "'We Are Going MLS!' Pro Soccer Stadium Is Coming to Orlando". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  22. ↑ Tenorio, Paul (July 31, 2015). "Orlando City unveils plans for new $155 million, 25,500-seat soccer stadium". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Orlando City SC Launches Season Ticket Deposit Campaign for Inaugural MLS Season". Orlando City SC. May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Orlando City delays debut of new downtown stadium until 2017". Orlando Sentinel. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  25. ↑ Bilbao, Richard (December 12, 2012). "Orlando City Soccer Talks More About Future Stadium". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  26. ↑ Savino, Christopher (September 30, 2013). "UPDATE: Woods Bagot Releases Renderings of Proposed Orlando City SC Stadium". Business of Soccer. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Details Released on New Orlando Soccer Stadium". WFTV (Orlando). March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Orlando City SC release renderings of new downtown stadium to be completed in 2016". Major League Soccer. June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Orlando City SC Joins Heineken Roster". orlandocitysc.com. Orlando City SC. Retrieved November 12, 2014.

External links

Preceded by
Citrus Bowl		 Home of Orlando City Soccer Club
2017–future 		Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
Citrus Bowl		 Home of Orlando Pride
2017–future 		Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
WakeMed Soccer Park		 Host of the Women's College Cup
2017 		Succeeded by
TBA
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