NFL
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Indianapolis_Colts_logo.svg/100px-Indianapolis_Colts_logo.svg.png
Indianapolis Colts

4x Champion:
1958, 1959, 1970, 2006

http://modernfireandsecurity.com/site/data/gallery/lucas.jpg

http://www.cgtalk.com.ua/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/static.novate.ru/files/tim/stadiums/stadium4a.jpg

http://indyinsights.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/17/watercolorfinal.jpg

http://football.ballparks.com/NFL/IndianapolisColts/newinterior.jpg

I think there already is a thread on this, but I'm not a huge fan of the classic look on stadiums, especially not football ones. For ballparks its okay, but for football it looks kinda outta place. But I guess its good for a change.

Don't like the classic look, too. Looks like a giant greenhouse from above.

Unique and fully into the character of its city.

Unique and fully into the character of its city.

I agree, I actually thought anything like this would never work for an "American" football stadium, but it grew on me, Its a different choice from all the other modern looking football stadiums being built.

It will have a retractable roof and retractable walls behind the endzones...
Why the hell would you want retractable walls on a football stadium??? It makes the stadium look like a giant aircraft hanger but for some reason it keeps growing on me everytime I see it :dunno:

Looks like a gigantic barn. But it's okay imo.

For those that don't get it, its an old fieldhouse design like old basketball arena. Allen Fieldhouse or even the new Conseco Fieldhouse down the street are good examples. Basketball is Indiana's sport and this is basically the ultimate basketball arena. The Colts just happen to play there, LOL.

And you want retractable endzone walls to let some air in. If you've ever been in a retractable roof or partial roof yet enclosed like Texas Stadium, the air is stagnant and tends to magnify whatever condition is present. Hot days are hotter, cold are like a fridge. Some wind and light are good things.

Why the hell would you want retractable walls on a football stadium??? It makes the stadium look like a giant aircraft hanger but for some reason it keeps growing on me everytime I see it :dunno:
We need it closed to host basketball games (Final Four), Black Expo, and other events. Open air will be for football games.

That is a damned good ass stadium.

is it a convert from an old barn !

Nice, I am not sure that 3.000 additional seats compared to the old arena will be enough. It does remind of an old barn but that´s Indiana style. But why isn´t it parallel to the street grid?

My first guess without knowing anything about Indy is that that's North/South, which outdoor football stadiums are supposed to face.

My first guess without knowing anything about Indy is that that's North/South, which outdoor football stadiums are supposed to face.

that was my guess too. I think there are only two football stadiums college or pro, that face East-West. One of which happens to be in Stillwater, Oklahoma on the Oklahoma State Univ. campus ... which is understandable coming from genius oklahoma designers and engineers.

My first guess without knowing anything about Indy is that that's North/South, which outdoor football stadiums are supposed to face.


First of all, the Current RCA dome only seat 56,000, so 63,000 is a 7,000 gain on seat with the ability to go to 70,000, that's a gain of 14,000.

Secondly, the reason why the stadium is "cocked" is because you will be able to see the "skyline" from almost every seat. Indy's baseball stadium is positioned to view the skyline and is one of it's most noticable attractions.

The design is also similar to the the Conseco Fieldhouse (which is always voted one of the best arenas in the US), which is very retro. This stadium will also have many, many more club and sweet seats, which is where these venues make their money. Also, the current location of the Dome is preventing the Indiana Convention Center from expandnig, so once this is built, the Dome comes down to make way for an expanded convention center.
Also, Indy has been planning a light rail system and this new facility will be attached to the proposed transit hub that will be built downtown.

Indy is experiencing a mini- construction boom right now. This project, the convention center expansion and four high-rises over 90m are under constrcution with countless mid rises going up all over downtown. It is really exciting

Baseball stadiums are preferred to not face a cardinal direction. It keeps the sun from being directly behind any base. Most urban stadiums simply don't follow this though and rather follow the block.

What an booming stadium country is USA. New stadium Yankee, new stadium Mets, new stadium Jets new stadium Giants, new stadium Colts new stadium San Diego and there an clot of more projects.

^ As far as pro sports go, a newer facility brings in more revenue, so when one or two teams start building new places, others do to keep up in the revenue department! :cheers:

It's great to see the RCA Dome meet its demise, it was built more as a convention center if you ask me, very cheap and generic looking. And it had bleachers in the upper deck!!! Come on, that's pathetic.

:) :) :)

Ugh.

Ugly design.

Love it, looks like a World War 2 aircraft hangar. An instant classic for mine. Plus you can open it up when it looks like being a nice enough day.

And they propose to play basketball in the joint? You are going to need the hubble telescope to be able to see any action from the top deck, back row!

Love it, looks like a World War 2 aircraft hangar. An instant classic for mine. Plus you can open it up when it looks like being a nice enough day.

And they propose to play basketball in the joint? You are going to need the hubble telescope to be able to see any action from the top deck, back row!


I notice that you are in Oz, so it may not mean too much to you, but basketball is KING in Indiana. The NCAA, which is the National Collegiate Athletic Association is based in Indianapolis and each year they host the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. It ranks right behind the Superbowl in viewership. The NCAA stated that if Indy built a new facility they would promise a men's final four every five years. Normally this event travels to other cities and was last in Indy in '97 (maybe '98) and was in St. Louis this year. Scoring a Final Four every five years is a huge economic gain...and not to mention a boost for a city desperate to cast it's "no place" image and take a place in the top tier of American Cities.

And they propose to play basketball in the joint? You are going to need the hubble telescope to be able to see any action from the top deck, back row!

Yeah the view is usually awful from the back of the 50K-60K seat stadiums they hold the NCAA Final Four at, but it always near or at full capacity for those games. :) :) :)

And yes, they'd only use this place for the Final Four. Any other basketball game would use Conseco.

Final Four rules. The whole NCAA tourney is underrated as a national event I think. This will definitely be a worthy home.

I don't like the design, it looks like the offspring of a barn and a hangar.

Horrible :eek2: :runaway:

Colts 'landmark' to get the boot to make way for stadium

Few people will wax nostalgic when a former auto parts warehouse is demolished today to make room for a new Indianapolis Colts stadium. Few except Kevin Wilson, that is.

The 85-year-old building holds many fond memories for Wilson.

Wilson worked in the CarQuest distribution center for 15 years, starting as a teen in a basement stocking exhaust pipes. Taking pictures of the demolition prep work last week, he recalled fancy tailgate parties, sunbathing on the roof and a hazing ritual that involved shrink-wrapping new workers in plastic and sending them down a huge spiral chute used to move auto parts around the warehouse.

Starting today, the big blue building imprinted with a white Colts horseshoe will be torn down. It could be a memory by the end of the week.

"It's a little bit of an emotional moment for me, but I'm looking forward to what's coming in its place," said Wilson, who worked at CarQuest from 1977 to 1992. "It was a great building to grow up in."

The Capital Improvement Board, which bought the building from CarQuest in 1998 and will operate the stadium, hired O'Rourke Wrecking Co. of Cincinnati for the job. Last week, workers removed interior walls, wood and trash to leave the concrete and rebar clean for recycling.

The demolition marks the first visible sign of life for a Colts project originally set for groundbreaking Aug. 1. O'Rourke workers said it will take about a week.

According to fire insurance records at the city's Historic Preservation Commission, the building at 225 W. South St. was built in 1920. Drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. used it to store pharmaceuticals and supplies before selling it to the Indiana Parts Warehouse in the 1960s, Wilson said.

Indiana Parts was the forerunner of CarQuest, which was founded in 1974 with just two distribution centers. Today, the company is a national operation with about 3,400 retail stores.

CarQuest moved out of the building in 1992, after it built a modern distribution center north of Indianapolis International Airport, where Wilson is now an operations manager. The company continued to use the warehouse for storage for another six years, he said.

Wilson said he watched the construction of the RCA Dome from the warehouse roof and that the Colts gave the company 80 tickets. Company founder Joe Hughes entertained clients and employees with elaborate food spreads and tailgating parties held indoors on winter Sundays, he said.

And yes, Wilson was shrink-wrapped, too, and sent down the spiral chute in the building's center.

"I'll miss it," he said.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050829/NEWS01/508290388/1006

Yeah what a backward thinking building in terms of design even though the stadium has some great features. Why try to make a stadium look like an old barn? Why does it have to try to look like something that it isn't? Why can't a modern stadium look like a modern stadium. Why do so many architects keep trying to mimic the past?

Its not backwards. Its called heritage. Its not trying to look like a barn. It IS a fieldhouse design. It IS going to look exactly like what it will be.

Please explain what a modern stadium is supposed to look like? Modern will change every year, and usually ages horribly, while this building will be timeless.

Don't kid yourself, its not called heritage its called imitation. Its called lack of originality. This building will not be called timeless because its construction references a different era to which it was built, it will just be meaningless and be torn down in 25years when everyone realises this was a building with no soul.

Don't kid yourself, its not called heritage its called imitation. Its called lack of originality. This building will not be called timeless because its construction references a different era to which it was built, it will just be meaningless and be torn down in 25years when everyone realises this was a building with no soul.

Yeah, I don't think you get it.

Don't kid yourself, its not called heritage its called imitation. Its called lack of originality. This building will not be called timeless because its construction references a different era to which it was built, it will just be meaningless and be torn down in 25years when everyone realises this was a building with no soul.

Indiana is pretty much the home of basketball in the United States. The old basketball "Fieldhouses" were built just like this. The stadium will reflect that heritage in a modern way. Its no different than Paris building lots of new apartment buildings that reflect their heritage. This happens all over the world. It won't be meaningless in 25 years. Interesting how this stadium has no soul while you have countless numbers of concrete monoliths and lego works all over the world that only get uglier as time goes by. This building is setup to get instant history and I would be surprised if it doesn't continue to be renovated over and over because of its design. Some designs are simply timeless. This is one, like it or not.

Yeah, I don't think you get it.

I just ignore people like him.

Colts, city agree to stadium lease

The Indianapolis Colts and city negotiators today agreed to a 30-year lease, a major step toward building a new football stadium Downtown.

“The Colts will be here for a generation,” said Fred Glass, chairman of the city’s Capital Improvement Board. “Folks can feel comfortable buying their grandkids a Colts T-shirt.”

City officials said it is now up to state negotiators to complete a stadium development agreement before construction may begin.

“We are pleased to have reached agreement on all issues with the CIB (Capital Improvement Board) related to the lease and look forward to the successful completion of all other unfinished agreements,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement today.

Copies of the 85-page lease were distributed after the Capital Improvement Board approved the agreement. The board authorized Glass to sign the lease.

Glass said the lease is very close to the points agreed to by the team and city earlier this month. The team gets the naming rights to the stadium and continues to take in all revenue from Colts games. The team will also get a percentage of all events held in the stadium.

The city will no longer be obligated to make payments to the Colts if the team falls below certain income levels.

A lease and stadium development agreement are needed to begin a three-year construction schedule that would have the stadium open by September 2008. Originally, groundbreaking was scheduled for Aug. 1.

The city's Capital Improvement Board, which operates the RCA Dome and Conseco Fieldhouse, has been paying the bills for minor demolition, architecture design and other prep work necessary to start the project. A stadium development and lease agreement is necessary, however, before major work can start.

Once the state builds the project, the city will take over the building that could host up to 200 events a year in addition to approximately 10 Colts games.

The stadium will replace the RCA Dome which will be removed for expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050830/NEWS01/50830017

Fieldhouses were used for basketball? Then why does a football stadium have to look like a fieldhouse? The Pacers' Arena already looks like that and it works quite well but a nice, modern football stadium would have been better.

^Because its being built for basketball as well. What is a modern looking stadium anyway? You mean contemporary? That changes every 5 minutes.

Colts and state reach deal on stadium plan

The Colts and the state authority building them a new stadium are expected to announce an agreement Thursday on final details of the $500 million project.

Signing the development agreement clears the final hurdle for the Indiana Stadium and Convention Center Building Authority to obtain funding and finally break ground on a new retractable-roofed stadium.

"My expectation is they will not only announce it but also approve it and move forward," said state Sen. Luke Kenley, the architect of the stadium legislation and a non-voting member of the authority board, in an interview today. "I feel greatly relieved -- it looks like we'll get it done and hold to the timeline of finishing by Aug. 15, 2008."

The groundbreaking, originally set for Aug. 1, was delayed by the need to complete the lengthy document that controls everything from its architectural design to the number of corporate suites and concession stands.

One of the final sticking points had been a $3 ticket tax authorized by the Indiana General Assembly in an effort to balance the burden on taxpayers. The Colts have argued against the tax maintaining ticket holders already pay a 5 percent admissions tax, which is going up to 6 percent. Kenley said today the tax would not be implemented because officials feel they can finance the stadium without it.

State officials finally gave in when they decided the money the ticket tax would raise annually wasn’t necessary to finance the project. The team will pay $100 million, and the other 80 percent of the cost will come from increased taxes on prepared food and beverages in the Indianapolis metro area, as well as on hotels and rental cars in Marion County.

Authority officials have been scrambling to complete the agreement before the season opens so they can begin the 3-year construction schedule and finish in time for the 2008 season. The city’s Capital Improvement Board, which will operate the 63,000-seat stadium, agreed to a 30-year lease with the team last week, putting added pressure on state officials.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050907/NEWS01/50907009

Why they choose this ugly design???

very interesting...

Why they choose this ugly design???

because you touch yourself at night

I don't care for the design either, but 40Acres' comment made me laugh :D

When people always say they want a "modern stadium design", I remind them of how in the 60's and early 70's, all the cities built "modern stadiums", which turned out to be ugly concrete cookie cutters. It makes since for cities to be smarter about their stadium designs and integrate them into their surroundings better, and also incorporate some of the cities history and heritage into them.

If a city is newer, full of steel and glass buildings, then the stadium designs should reflect that. If it's an older city, maybe with more brick buildings, then there's nothing wrong with building a retro looking stadium with a brick facade, with all the modern amenities on the inside.

Stadium design might elude scrutiny

The Indiana Stadium and Convention Center Authority may choose to bypass the only chance for public input on the design of the new stadium planned for the south end of downtown.

Typically, projects built in the immediate downtown area must receive Regional Center approval from the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, which includes a public hearing. But state-owned projects aren’t required by law to seek such approval, said city spokesman Justin Ohlemiller.

The state board overseeing the project hasn’t yet decided whether to bypass the hearing process, but “if it doesn’t add any value to the process, we probably won’t,” said John Klipsch, executive director of the Authority. He added he planned to meet with city officials to discuss, in part, what the value of seeking regional center approval might be.

More so than eliminating public input on the stadium’s design, forgoing the regional center process could also eliminate an opportunity for the city to influence plans for the area around the stadium, said local architect and planner Jim Lingenfelter, principal of Five2Five Design Studio LLC.

“Making plans for the area around the stadium would leverage the investment for everybody,” Lingenfelter said, noting the area south of South Street will in coming years be frequented by more convention attendees than fans attending stadium events. “[The Regional Center process] is not necessarily to add value to the stadium board’s project, but more to the area around there.”

http://tampa.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2005/09/19/15/Img/Pc0150700.jpg
The public and the city may have limited opportunity to weigh in on the new stadium’s design.

nice stadium... once they build it, will Indy get a superbowl as a result?

nice stadium... once they build it, will Indy get a superbowl as a result?

According to the commissioner, its pretty much assured Indy will get a Super Bowl once the stadium is completed

I'd prefer if they kept the RCA Dome.

I hate change.

To tell you the truth it looks well CRAP the thing looks like a giant barne yard or shed.

What's in it for the fans?
A wider seat, more legroom and Wi-Fi for all. Those who pay more also will get fireplaces, beer tubs and pool tables.

Whether you're a Colts fan paying top dollar for a fancy suite, or a blue-collar backer who can only afford the cheap seats, there's something in the new Indiana Stadium for you.

Fireplaces in club lounges. Pool tables in the quarterback suites. Wireless Internet access throughout. A little more room in the seat.

The nearly 500-page stadium plan released Monday details how nearly every inch of the new building will look and be used -- from the size of potted plants to the width of the seats.

Though officials are three years away from installing the last seat, here's what fans can expect in the new facility, depending on how much you're willing to pay. Prices, however, haven't been set.

The cheap seats

Forget those metal, stadium bleacher seats found in the RCA Dome. The new stadium will have all real seats with backs, small armrests and cup holders. The seat width will grow by approximately 1 inch, to 20 inches. The legroom grows, too, from about 31 inches now to 33 inches.

Colts-themed trash cans will be sprinkled throughout the concourses, as will lifesaving defibrillators, ATMs and approximately one concession stand for every 175 patrons. The concession stands will have a 1920s and 1930s retro theme. Those who venture outside their seats won't miss the action either, as televisions will line the concourses.

Bathroom facilities will be plentiful. There will be an average of one toilet for every 200 men and one urinal for every 80. There will be an average of one toilet for every 50 women. Toilets will automatically flush, and hand washers will use paper towels, not dryers.

Clubbing it

Those who want to pay more for roomier, cushier club seats will get an extra inch of seat space -- or about 21 inches. Legroom also grows, to at least 35 inches. Seat bottoms will be extra plush and padded.

Club patrons will have access to approximately 72,700 total square feet of lounge space, or upscale, private bar and dining areas.

There, they will find dozens of high-definition television sets sprinkled throughout, along with 10- and 30-gallon potted plants and four fireplaces.

The bathroom ratios get better for men here, where there will be an average of one urinal for every 60 men. In the restrooms, patrons will be able to keep track of the game through a sound system tied into the stadium audio.

Club seat fans also are likely to have shorter lines at the concession stands. There will be approximately one point-of-sale for every 125 patrons.

The suite life

There are at least 14 different types of suites, or luxury boxes.

Fans who can afford this luxury will get theater-style seats, at least 22 inches wide and 36 inches of legroom with either leather or premium-grade upholstery. There will be a refrigerator, icebox, built-in beer tub and granite countertops.

The suites will have interactive touch-screen computers with special software where fans can interact with replays, game stats and rules. Flat-screen HDTVs will not only be in the suites, but outside them as well so fans don't miss any action.

No detail is too small. Coat closets will even have upscale hangers.

Bathroom lines will be even shorter. There's an average of one toilet and urinal for every 32 men, and one toilet for every 16 women.

For fans in any of the 10 quarterback suites, there will pool tables and servers who can take individual food orders.

Tailgaters

A parking lot with 3,000 spaces will provide tailgating space before and after events. Speakers will hang off the light poles, which also will provide electricity for RVs. About 200 of those spaces will be reserved for coaches and players.

Coach and players

Players get a locker room with 90 lockers, three grease boards, 24 showers and a drying area for 15 players at a time. The coach (now Tony Dungy, left) gets his own office, restroom and refrigerator. The coach and players' families get lounges.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050927/SPORTS03/509270466/1006/NEWS01

I'd prefer if they kept the RCA Dome.

I hate change.

If they keep it. The Colts wont be staying there.

Horseshoe shape didn't fly
The final decision on architectural firm was unanimous, board president says

The new Indiana Stadium could have ended up in the shape of a horseshoe.

That's one of two ideas city and sports officials rejected when they were selecting an architectural firm to design a new stadium for the Indianapolis Colts.

Now that Dallas-based HKS architects has been selected to design the new stadium, the Marion County Capital Improvement Board last week revealed what they passed up.

In March 2004, the board asked four NFL-approved design firms with national reputations to propose how a new stadium would look. HKS and two Kansas City, Mo., firms -- HOK Sport+ Venue+Event and Ellerbe Becket -- responded.

The three groups made private presentations to focus groups, made up of representatives from the city, Colts, NCAA and Convention Center. The decision to select HKS was unanimous, according to Capital Improvement Board President Fred Glass.

Each firm came to the table with many of the same features: a stadium with a retractable roof and sliding window, wider concourses, and more and better suites and lounges, according to the brochures, multimedia presentations and models provided to the Capital Improvement Board.

The designs, though, were different. Ellerbe Becket proposed making the stadium into the shape of a horseshoe. HOK proposed a modern, rectangular stadium that sat square with the city block.

What appealed to the group about HKS?

"We were choosing a design firm, not just a design," Glass said.

The design proposal showed a stadium with a classic, timeless look, with a multi-use focus. After all, this isn't just a home for the Colts, but also NCAA and soccer tournaments, marching band competitions and countless conventions.

The stadium was angled to face the Downtown skyline. The firm showed a particular willingness to work with local officials, Glass said.

And, while the firm had built sports arenas before, HKS had never done a National Football League stadium, Glass said. That was a point in their favor, he added.

"They were staking their reputation on this," he said.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20051009&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=510090483&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Rejected: HOK Sport+Venue+ Event proposed a modern stadium for the Colts.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS01/510090483

looks like a classy barn.............

I love it. It looks a bit similar to the new Arizona stadium and the proposed Vikings stadium but I think the design is superb. A hate domes on football stadiums but I am totally cool on great looking retractable roof stadiums. I especially like the new trend where one end opens up the outside in some fashion so the stadium seems more "open".

Indy's stadium, when completed, will be the first "end to open" in the NFL.

Not bad considering it is a football stadium! I like Indianapolis, it is a small city but it has charachter! The downtown area while microscopic, yes, it is really nice!

Indy's 2010 Final Four plans may include record crowd

Those in charge of Final Fours held in Indianapolis always seek ways to improve the event.

Local organizers revealed plans Friday to make the 2006 Final Four better. The 2010 Final Four could be even bigger -- by about 25,000 fans.

Tom Jernstedt, executive vice president of the NCAA, said organization leaders have met with Indiana Stadium architects so that basketball sightlines will be considered during construction.

Thus the stadium might accommodate 65,000 to 70,000 fans for the 2010 Final Four at Indianapolis, Jernstedt said. The configuration for 2006 allows for about 43,500 spectators.

The record attendance at a Final Four game was 64,949 in 1987 at the New Orleans Superdome, where Indiana beat Syracuse 74-73 for the championship.

Indiana Stadium is scheduled for completion in time for the Indianapolis Colts' 2008 season.

"We're convinced that it will be the state-of-the-art building in this country or even world in 2008," Jernstedt said. "We think we'll be able to put the floor in the middle, and it will have a real basketball atmosphere that will be natural and not fabricated."

Similarly large crowds would be possible at Detroit's Ford Field in 2009 and Houston's Reliant Stadium in 2011, Jernstedt said. Attendance was 78,129 at Ford Field on Dec. 13, 2003, when Kentucky beat Michigan State 79-74.

Friday's news conference -- held on the RCA Dome floor assembled for today's game between Indiana and Kentucky -- featured details on Final Four activities intended to involve youths and enhance the experience for visitors.

"The message here today is, 'If you don't have a ticket, you still have an invitation,' " said Bill Stanczykiewicz, chairman of the youth outreach committee.

Organizers also unveiled the Final Four logo and put out a call for 2,000 volunteers. Fans can learn about the weeklong celebration at www.indianasportscorp.com/finalfour.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051210/SPORTS/512100456

http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/future/colts102.jpg

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20051009&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=510090483&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Rejected: HOK Sport+Venue+ Event proposed a modern stadium for the Colts.

I preffer that design to the one choosen personally which strikes me as a mismatch between old(giant barn) and new(modern seating setup). I like a few other US stadiums I'v seen given this kind of treatment but here the scale of the thing and the way the two are put together just doesnt work for me.

http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/future/colts102.jpg
For a big basketball event in a giant stadium, that is gorgeous.

This design is really well-concieved for multiple use.

lol where is my binoqulers.....
:guns1:

Ridiculous that they'd play basketball there, the seating setup would be horrifying!

I don't like the stadium in general. None of this retro...square...retractable...richy-richy stuff that's popping up in the NFL and MLB. I want a football stadium for the average joe, not the executive. Wifi? WTF? I guess that's the crowd that can afford tickets now, though.

Great stadium. I've been excited about this for a while. It reminds me of Ford Field in Detroit.
Any news on whats happening with the RCA dome? Are they tearing it down after the new stadium is finished?

Great stadium. I've been excited about this for a while. It reminds me of Ford Field in Detroit.
Any news on whats happening with the RCA dome? Are they tearing it down after the new stadium is finished?

Once the new stadium is completed, the RCA dome will be torn down to expand the convention center.

I like the barn look...it's different, but seems to fit Indy for some strange reason.

Convention Center loan a done deal
Agreement essentially completes financing for $900 million project that includes Downtown stadium

Construction won't start until 2008, but state finance officials completed a crucial step Wednesday in getting Indianapolis' new Convention Center built--securing the money.

Indiana Public Finance Director Ryan Kitchell and Budget Director Charles Schalliol signed dozens of documents that locked in a $300 million loan. The 4.55 percent interest rate on the loan is lower than most homeowners would get on their mortgages, and only slightly higher than the 4.23 percent rate the state secured for the stadium portion of the deal earlier this year.

Wednesday's closing essentially seals the financing on one of the largest public projects in the city's history -- a $900 million stadium and Convention Center project whose loan package was handled by bond attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

Money from Marion County tax collections, including hotel stays and food and beverage sales, will help pay off the loans. So will a 1 percent food and beverage tax adopted by six nearby counties.

Once the stadium and Convention Center are paid off -- probably around 2040 -- the additional tax will no longer be collected.

As part of the deal completed Wednesday, Key and Old National banks each will lend the Indiana Stadium and Convention Center Building Authority $20 million for start-up costs for the Convention Center. This money will allow the authority to hire consultants and architects to start designing the Convention Center, which will be expanded into the space now occupied by the RCA Dome. The Dome won't be needed in 2008, when the new stadium is scheduled to be done.

Stadium authority Executive Director John Klipsch said he hopes to have a design team picked for the Convention Center by mid-2006.

Stadium construction update
Construction crews have been battling bitterly cold weather in recent weeks to finish excavating the new stadium site. Here's an update on their progress:

Excavation is about 75 percent complete, and all utilities have been relocated.

Workers have begun pouring concrete for the foundation -- so far, 1,300 cubic yards of the 41,000 cubic yards have been poured.

Next, workers will start installing footings for the huge super-columns that will support the stadium.

To date, $125 million in contracts have been approved for the stadium, which has a budget of $675 million. That includes "soft costs," such as design, land acquisition and legal fees.

Stadium officials have spent $2.5 million of the $50 million contingency fund because excavation costs were greater than expected.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051222/NEWS01/512220397

The $50M name game
Colts face corporate frugality in search for stadium sponsor

Tom Zupancic doesn't need to put Eli Lilly and Co. on his list. RCA owner Thomson SA, however, is a viable target.

Zupancic, an Indianapolis Colts senior vice president, has been making a list of potential corporate sponsors willing to lay down tens of millions of dollars to have their name splashed across the new Indiana Stadium.

Interested companies should be prepared to spend in the neighborhood of $50 million over 15 to 20 years. How much the name is worth will be based on everything from how frequently TV broadcasts will show footage of the stadium name to how many times children will hear the name on video games.

Though the stadium won't open until the 2008 football season, Zupancic and his marketing crew hope to capitalize on the Colts' winning season to land the deal sooner rather than later.

"The team's success helps with everything. . . . But the deal has to stand alone," Zupancic said.

In compiling a list of possible targets, the team is zeroing in on large, Indiana-based companies that might want to publicize their names on a stadium that is expected at some point to host a Super Bowl.

"It could be a company that's nationally known, that just wants to brand itself with the NFL or specifically the Indianapolis Colts," Zupancic said. "We're looking for a company that's solid, that's growing."

The winner may not be a Hoosier company. Earlier this year, Illinois-based insurance giant Allstate bought the rights to the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The name almost certainly won't be Lilly, one of the largest corporations in Central Indiana. A spokesman for Lilly, Ed Sagebiel, said the pharmaceutical giant hasn't been contacted by the Colts, nor is it contemplating such a deal.
One of the companies the team is talking with is Thomson, whose RCA brand graces the Dome where the Colts now play. The two sides met earlier this year.

Naming rights in the National Football League are lucrative deals -- with companies paying out $620,000 to $10 million a year to place their monikers on stadiums.

Because Indianapolis is a medium-size media market, the Colts can't expect to bag a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The Houston Texans, for example, have an agreement with Reliant Energy worth $300 million. Zupancic expects the Colts to end up with a deal somewhere in the middle of the naming-rights price range.

The team will handle the negotiations itself rather than hire consultants. Colts owner Jim Irsay has given the bargaining job to Zupancic, who will be brokering his first stadium naming-rights deal. Under the lease agreement between the Colts and the city, it will be up to the team to select the sponsor. The Colts will get to keep all of the money in selling the naming rights.

But finding a naming-rights sponsor is not easy, said Dennis R. Howard, a professor at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center.

"There are a lot of teams out there searching and searching," said Howard, noting that it took the Seattle Seahawks two years after the team's stadium opened to land a $75 million deal with Qwest Communications.

"The corporate sector is such a significant part of the revenue engine for teams," Howard said. "But there's a shrinking pool of prospects" because of the financial problems facing so many U.S. companies.

Zupancic hopes the team will be able to find a sponsor with a little less trouble because Indianapolis isn't selling the rights only to a football stadium, but to a stadium that will host millions of conventioneers a year and NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments. Also, the stadium is in the heart of the city, not out of sight in the suburbs.

What will the winning bidder get for buying the naming rights to Indiana Stadium?

For starters, it will get its name splashed across a giant building visible to millions of cars that annually cross Downtown on I-70, not to mention the blimp that flies overhead during "Monday Night Football" games and the NCAA Final Four.

The company also will get to help decide whether the stadium will be referred to as a stadium, an arena or a field. It also will get to take over the main entrance to the new stadium and turn it into an exhibit space of its own.

And the sponsoring company will get access -- to the stadium for parties and meetings, and to cheerleaders and players who will help promote the company.

For Carmel-based Conseco, whose name is attached to the Fieldhouse where the Indiana Pacers play, there's all that plus a feel-good factor, too.

"It provides a source of name-recognition and pride -- it helps connect Conseco to the values of the middle America market we serve," said company spokesman James Rosensteele.

Dave Arland, vice president for marketing with France-based Thomson SA, the owner of the RCA brand, said securing the naming rights to the new stadium might turn out to be "too rich for our blood."

That said, Thomson might have an advantage in any negotiations because "there's a very small number of companies that are willing to pony up the money that this requires," he said.

Arland said naming-rights deals have proven to be a successful sports marketing initiative for the consumer electronics end of Thomson. How successful?

"You don't have to look any further than 'Monday Night Football,' " Arland said, referring to the repeated overhead shots of the RCA Dome seen on network TV. Further exposure will come in April when the RCA Dome hosts the NCAA men's Final Four.

RCA owner Thomson bought the naming rights to the Dome in 1994 for $10 million for a 10-year span, then renewed last year for $1.3 million a year. The city used some of the revenue it received in the original deal to build Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians.

The revenue from the Dome's naming rights now goes to the Capital Improvement Board, which runs the Dome, but the money is then passed on to the Colts as part of a 1998 agreement that renewed the team's presence in Indianapolis.

The significance of naming-rights revenue for NFL teams became evident in the last round of negotiations that resulted in a new stadium and a 30-year commitment from the Colts to Indianapolis. The Colts wanted the city to make up the difference if the naming deal didn't generate a certain level of revenue, said Fred Glass, president of the Capital Improvement Board, which struck the deal with the Colts on the new stadium.

Glass said the city steadfastly rejected that idea. "We didn't want to be on the hook," Glass said.

The Colts still ended up with a good deal. Besides revenue from naming rights, the team will get about half of the revenue from non-NFL events at the stadium, and it will get to keep money from game-day concessions and parking.

In securing a corporate sponsor, Zupancic wants nothing less than a 15- to 20-year deal. Any shorter term, he said, is hardly worth the effort because of the hassles involved in changing signs.

Other teams have faced that problem. In the NFL, at least six stadiums have undergone name changes in recent years, mostly because of corporate financial woes. No longer do the St. Louis Rams play in the Trans World Dome, for example. Now they play in the Edward Jones Dome, named for the brokerage firm.

"It's getting harder to sell them (rights) for long periods of time," Zupancic said. "The companies just don't know where they'll be in 20 years."

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20051225&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=512250447&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Good visibility: The corporation that buys naming rights to the Colts' stadium will get prime exposure in Downtown Indianapolis.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051225/NEWS01/512250447/1006

Suite lowdown: Fanciest new ones to cost $275,000

Watching the Colts play from the comfort of a suite at the new Indiana Stadium will cost a minimum of $40,000 a year.

That price, however, won't get you one of the super suites, which will feature 50-inch, flat-screen TVs, an oversized bar and private bathrooms.

For that kind of luxury, be prepared to write a check for $275,000.

The new stadium will offer suites that are bigger, fancier and technologically cooler than those in the aging RCA Dome. But in exchange for the extras, including, on average, an additional 127 square feet of room, suite owners will pay about 17 percent more than they do now. RCA Dome suites range from $34,200 to $235,000 annually.

Colts marketing staffers already are working to sell the new stadium's 142 suites -- 38 more than in the RCA Dome -- though the building is still three seasons from opening. Given that the waiting list for a suite in the Dome is 25 companies deep, the Colts are confident of a sellout by the time the new stadium opens in 2008.

Although the starting price for a suite would drain a year's worth of income for a lot of Hoosier families, $40,000 (which will buy you an eight-seat suite) is practically a bargain by National Football League standards. However, at $275,000 a year, the Colts' 36-seat super suites are priced well above the NFL average, according to Revenues from Sports Venues, a sports marketing trade publication. The average starting price for a suite in NFL stadiums is $59,600; the high-end suites average $183,850.

New costs more
Prices vary by stadium and by suite. Bigger-market teams and those in new stadiums can demand more than teams that play in older stadiums. The Arizona Cardinals' new stadium offers suites from $65,000 to $125,000 a year. In aging Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, suites start for as little as $30,000.

Revenue from suite sales and other corporate sponsorships is an important part of a team's financial success. NFL teams must share television revenue, but the money they get from stadium deals is theirs to keep.

Yet, just as corporate financial woes are making stadium naming-rights deals a tough sell, the same phenomenon is making it tougher for teams trying to sell suites, said Dennis R. Howard, a professor at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center.

As a result, "we're seeing a lot of suites sold as partials," said Howard, referring to a trend in which buyers split up suites. "The corporate market just isn't as willing to step up as they used to."

For the Colts, that's where the stadium's quarterback suite comes in. More like a party room, this suite (only one will be built) will feature 192 seats, which can be purchased in pairs. The price includes all you can eat and drink.
The cost? $3,750 to $4,000 per ticket per year.

Bankers, lawyers, clients
Buyers of suites at the new stadium are most likely to include some of the banks and law firms that are tenants in the Dome.

At least 11 banks or financial firms have suites at the Dome. Five of the city's biggest law firms and some of the state's biggest companies, including Eli Lilly and Co., Marsh Supermarkets, Rolls Royce and SBC (now AT&T Indiana), have suites, too.

Barnes and Thornburg, one of the city's prominent law firms, spends $104,820 a year on its suite and plans to buy one in the new stadium. Its reasons for doing so are twofold: It uses the suite to entertain clients and thinks that investing in a suite is a good way to support the Colts.

"A suite is a very valuable thing to have," said managing partner Bob Grand, whose firm handled the financing on the $1 billion stadium and Convention Center project.

First Indiana Bank uses its suite, which costs $63,000 a year, mostly to entertain clients but also occasionally to reward employees, said spokeswoman Beth Copeland.

That's what brought 17-year-old Tom Dunaway to the city of Indianapolis suite (which the city gets at no charge) for the Dec. 4 game against the Tennessee Titans. His uncle, Dave Hirschle, was given the tickets as a reward for good work at the city's Department of Metropolitan Development. The two sat in the roomy seats in the suite, munched on mini-tacos and cookies served at the buffet and took in the game.

"The seats are the best -- we're not crowded in here at all," Dunaway said.

Perks outside the suite
Suite owners get other perks, too. They get preferred parking. They get visits from cheerleaders, masseuses and magicians during games. They get trips to away games, and some may even be invited by the team to Super Bowl trips.

All of that is part of how the Colts try to make suite buyers comfortable about their investment.

"The suites are used to affect companies' bottom line. There has to be a return on their investment," said Tom Zupancic, an Indianapolis Colts senior vice president.

And to ensure the team meets its own expected return on investment, the state authority overseeing construction of the $500 million stadium will build the Colts a sales center at the Union Federal Football Center, the Colts' practice facility.

When the center is complete next spring, companies will be able to tour a model of a suite and compare field views on a computer program.

At this point, the Colts are working with interior designers to put the finishing touches on the suites, selecting items such as granite countertops and wall colors.

Zupancic says the goal is to design suites with a classy look -- including, of course, Colts blue.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20060103&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=601030434&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
bigger and better: Suites in the Colts' new stadium will feature 32-inch, flat-screen, high-definition TVs. They'll also be roomier -- by an average of 127 square feet -- and offer more amenities than those in the RCA Dome (above, during the Dec. 4 game against Tennessee).

The new suites: What you get for the money
The 142 suites in the new stadium will range in price from $40,000 a year to $275,000 a year. Here's a breakdown:

Regular suites
• Location: On both the lower and upper suite decks.
• How many: 64 on the lower suite deck, 34 on the upper suite deck, with 20 seats each.
• Approximate price: $65,000 and up, depending on location.
• Features: Three 32-inch, flat-screen televisions in each suite and one TV outside each suite. Seats will be extra wide with extra padding. An island bar in each will have a granite countertop.

Field suites
• Location: On the field, about 20 feet from the end zone.
• How many: Eight, with 20 seats in each.
• Approximate price: $90,000 a year.
• Features: The second of their kind in the NFL, the suites will be 4 feet off the ground and closest to the game. At the Seattle Seahawks' stadium, players have been known to interact with fans in the suites after scoring a touchdown.

Mini-suites
• Location: In the corners of the stadium on the lower level; on the sidelines on the upper level.
• How many: Six on the lower level, 20 on the upper level, with eight seats in each.
• Approximate price: $40,000 a year.
• Features: The lowest-priced suite.

Super suites
• Location: Lower level, between the 25-yard lines.
• How many: 10, with up to 36 seats in each.
• Approximate price: Up to $275,000.
• Features: A 50-inch, flat-screen television, a 13-inch TV between every two seats, a large bar, private bathrooms.

Want one?
To get on a waiting list for a suite, a $1,000 deposit is required. Sign up by going to the Colts' Web site at www.colts.com or by calling the Colts at (317) 297-2658.Regular suites


Old vs. new
With the new stadium comes a chance to offer fans the most up-to-date suite life in the NFL. Here's how the new suites will differ from those in the RCA Dome:

Technology
• RCA Dome: 26-inch televisions.
• New stadium: 32-inch, flat-screen, high-definition TVs.

Size
• RCA Dome: Average suite size is 431 square feet, with an average of 18 seats in each.
• New stadium: Average 558 square feet, with an average of 20 seats in each.

Seats
• RCA Dome: Average seat width is 19 inches.
• New stadium: 22 inches.

Number
• RCA Dome: 104.
• New stadium: 142.

Access to club lounges for suite holders
• RCA Dome: None.
• New stadium: Access to four club lounges.

Price
• RCA Dome: $34,200 to $235,000
• New stadium: $40,000 to $275,000.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006601030434

Can they fill it with fans?? Indy isn't known for its strong support of the Colts, particularly when the team isn't doing well.

As far as the design, same old, same old. Why to US sports franchises have an aversion toward modern stadium designs. At least the Arizona Cardinals got it right with their stadium design. http://www.azcardinals.com/stadium/

I wouldn't say US sports franchises have an aversion towards modern stadium design. The actual stadiums themselves are super modern. Then as for the exteriors, some are modern and some aren't. What would you call Paul Brown or Soldier Field? What would you call arenas like Staples or the Toyota Center? I'd say that if anything its baseball that mostly carries the brick thing. But even then you have places like the Juice Box or Miller Park that just have Brick in their designs. Doesn't make them less modern. Another reason for brick is the placement of many of these stadiums in warehouse districts.

Can they fill it with fans?? Indy isn't known for its strong support of the Colts, particularly when the team isn't doing well.

As far as the design, same old, same old. Why to US sports franchises have an aversion toward modern stadium designs. At least the Arizona Cardinals got it right with their stadium design. http://www.azcardinals.com/stadium/


Certainly, when Indy got the Colts and the honeymoon was over, there were tough times...that's what happens when you are a perinnial looser and your "fans" have NEVER had a reason to celebrate. BUT, all that changed when the Colts advanced to within a caught pass of advancing to the Super Bowl back in 1995 (Jim Harbaugh era). Then, once the team got Peyton, the City FULLY embraced the beloved Colts. There will be NO problem filling this stadium. Besides, it is also going to be home to the NCAA Final Four on a 5-year tour.

Only an increase of 3000?

Seems pretty pointless to me.


I love the stadium design though.

Colts to earn $122M from Lucas Oil deal
Payout for 20-year deal is among the top 5 in the NFL

The Indianapolis Colts landed one of the most lucrative naming rights deals in the National Football League by securing a 20-year, $122 million deal with Lucas Oil Products.

The California-based company, started by a southern Indiana truck driver, will start making regular payments that average $6.1 million a year in 2008, according to the 33-page agreement filed with the Marion County Capital Improvement Board and obtained by The Star under the state's public records law.

"It's a very good deal for both of us," said Tom Zupancic, the Colts' senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Lucas' logo will be on everything from each side of the stadium and the roof on the outside, to every cupholder inside.

It took only two meetings with Lucas Oil to make the deal, said Zupancic, whose marketing team started looking for a new sponsor for the stadium in the fall.

The new home for the Indianapolis Colts, who currently play in the RCA Dome, will be the "Lucas Oil Stadium," according to the team.

But before any signs go up, the Capital Improvement Board must approve the naming rights agreement, which will likely occur at the board's March 13 meeting, said board president Fred Glass. Lucas Oil will put a $2 million down payment on the deal once it's final, according to the agreement.

Colts will keep the money from this naming rights deal as they do from the current agreement with RCA. The team is kicking in $100 million toward the cost of the stadium, but the city is helping the Colts out by paying them $48 million for early termination of RCA Dome lease.

Construction on the new $500 million stadium with a retractable roof began last year and is expected to end in time for the 2008 football season's first kick-off.

The Colts' naming rights deal, which will be officially announced at a news conference today, ranks in the top five in the NFL -- and for any sports arena. Companies pay from $620,000 a year to $10 million to place their monikers on NFL stadiums.

"For Indianapolis, in a smaller market, to come up with such a deal is quite an achievement," said Dennis Howard, a University of Oregon sports marketing professor who tracks naming rights agreements.

As corporate America has struggled with buyouts, downsizing and bankruptcy, Howard said stadiums have had trouble convincing companies to fork over millions to name a sports arena. Lengthy deals, like the Colts' 20-year agreement, are even harder to come by, he said.

The Seattle Seahawks, for example, couldn't find a sponsor for their stadium by the time the venue opened. When they did find a sponsor two years later with Qwest Communications, their agreement amounted to $5 million a year for 15 years.

RCA was one of the early adventurers into the naming rights market, when they placed their name on the Hoosier Dome in 1994 for $10 million for 10 years. They renewed in 2004 at $1.3 million a year and were in talks with the Colts to re-up on the new stadium.

Though many teams use a private firm to complete their deals, Colts owner Jim Irsay tapped two of his vice presidents for the job. Zupancic and Jay Souers made presentations in the fall of 2005 to several local, national and international companies, according to the team.

In December, the Colts made a more specific pitch to a few companies. In January, the marketing duo got a verbal commitment from Lucas Oil, which already serves as a sponsor for the team.

Should Lucas Oil stop making payments, go out of business or change hands, there are escape clauses in the contract to protect the Colts, Zupancic said.

Under the company's agreement with the team, the name "Lucas Oil Stadium" will grace each side of the building and the roof, and will be visible to the millions of motorists who cross I-70 just south of Downtown.

The north entrance will be the official "Lucas Oil" entryway into the stadium. Outside that entrance will be an area where visitors can take pictures with a Lucas-inspired welcome symbol, according to the naming rights agreement. Inside that entrance, the Lucas Oil will transform the plaza with "tasteful" displays and exhibits, the agreement says.

The Lucas Oil stadium logo, which hasn't been designed yet, will be on every cup holder, employee uniform and giant video screen in the building.

The company will also likely get a suite, tickets and access to players and cheerleaders to help market their goods, although the specifics aren't spelled out in the agreement.

If the stadium has to change its name, Lucas Oil agrees to pay the costs of changing signs, the logo and the marketing materials.

Lucas Oil has its name on two other sporting venues, both motor speedways in Missouri and California.

"They're in the big leagues now," said Howard, the sports marketing professor. "And they're paying big league money for this chance."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060228/NEWS01/60228038

It looks nice and all, but I'm not sure if I like the direction that the new breed of NFL stadiums are taking. It seems like a lot of them are selling out their design(The big, boxy look with a retractable roof) in order to host a Superbowl. I much prefer the most recent string of stadiums that have come along. The stadiums with open ended corners like Qwest Field(Seattle), The Linc(Philly), Heinz Field(Pittsburgh), and Gillette(Foxboro) are all fantastic NFL stadiums. The atmosphere of seeing the skylines/scenery and letting in the elements is what makes these stadiums such a great place to watch a game.

I'm not knocking the new generation of stadiums by any means (Indy, Phoenix, Minny), but I just don't like the look of them. Who knows, maybe when they are done and football is being played in them I'll change my mind.

It looks nice and all, but I'm not sure if I like the direction that the new breed of NFL stadiums are taking. It seems like a lot of them are selling out their design(The big, boxy look with a retractable roof) in order to host a Superbowl. I much prefer the most recent string of stadiums that have come along. The stadiums with open ended corners like Qwest Field(Seattle), The Linc(Philly), Heinz Field(Pittsburgh), and Gillette(Foxboro) are all fantastic NFL stadiums. The atmosphere of seeing the skylines/scenery and letting in the elements is what makes these stadiums such a great place to watch a game.

I'm not knocking the new generation of stadiums by any means (Indy, Phoenix, Minny), but I just don't like the look of them. Who knows, maybe when they are done and football is being played in them I'll change my mind.

Lucas Stadium was designed with city views in mind. Watch this video, you'll see.

http://play.rbn.com/?url=nfl/nfl/open/2003/colts/demand/2006/stadiumnews/060227_lo_stad.rm&proto=rtsp&clipinfo=title=Video%20fly-through%20of%20Lucas%20Oil%20Stadium

edit- actually, that video isn't very convincing... never mind.

C'mon americans ur'll can do better than that!

C'mon americans ur'll can do better than that!

You're missing the point. This would be a horrible stadium to put in LA or in New York, or in London, or... most places really. This is a classic Hoosier fieldhouse. It belongs nowhere else.

The thing is that this is the exact design that has been used in Indiana for as long as indiana has existed. It fits the city. Yes, it looks like a big barn.... Good. It should look like a big barn.

It's in Indiana and matches every other 100 year old Basketball fieldhouse that has been constructed here. They look like big barns also. Are we really supposed to build yet another cookie cutter stadium structure that looks like a temporary humongous soap bubble, or a retarded flying saucer that's crashed landed? I don't think so. That type of stadium architecture. like the RCA dome, is the exception, not the rule here. We have history to protect after all. Basketball is from Indiana, and is practically synonymous with Indiana. This legacy needs to be preserved.

These are examples of classic Hoosier fieldhouse structures:

Hinkle Fieldhouse:

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/indiana/indianapolis_hinkle.jpg

State Fair Grounds coliseum:

http://indiana-state-fair.visit-indianapolis.com/pepsi-coliseum.jpg

Conseco Fieldhouse

https://www.conseco.com/conseco/selfservice/images/media/downloads/Fieldhouse_exterior.jpg

And now, Lucas Stadium, used both for Basketball and US football:

http://www.colts.com/images/news_photos/2005_0218_stadium1.jpg

http://www.colts.com/images/news_photos/2005_0218_stadium2.jpg

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20051225&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=512250447&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0

Are we really supposed to build something different? Why should we?

thanks for showing that. Been trying to explain that since early in the post. Guess its much more effective with the visuals. In the US, we don't have thousands of years of history that we're tired of mimicing, nor do we have thousands of years of history to have created identities in the way places like London and Paris have. We're creating identities now. I definitely love the fact that its not another overly roofed saddle shape stadium, but rather something that fits its city's heritage.

Whether this stadium appeals to you or not, credit should be given to Indianapolis and the US in general for being different and not building your stock standard bowl's. I love it when a daring venue is built that epitomizes a cities character.

EARLY LOOK AT LUCAS OIL STADIUM: Prices and perks of the suite life
Private restrooms? In-table TVs? High rollers can pick their level of luxury

Simple, clean lines, and modern, in a 1960s sort of way. Oh, and lots of blue.

That's the look the designers have conceived for the suites that will be built at the new Lucas Oil Stadium -- spaces from which anyone willing to plunk down hundreds of dollars per seat can entertain clients, schmooze with prospects and watch a little football.

The first glimpse at suite options comes courtesy of a glossy marketing brochure the Indianapolis Colts are distributing to suite holders in the RCA Dome. Those lessees will have first dibs on the 142 private suites at the new stadium, which will cost as much as $235,000 a year.

The Colts are still working with Dallas-based architects HKS to finalize the designs. For now, their plan includes a lot of chunky, oversized chairs covered in faux leather, barstools finished in chrome and sofas with straight backs and arms. Though there will undoubtedly be lots of Colts blue, the other hues in the suites, along with the flooring, furnishing and wall-covering selections, are subject to change. The new home for the Indianapolis Colts is set to open for the 2008 football season.

Colts Senior Executive Vice President Pete Ward said the team made a push to come up with a design that would hold up well for years.

The size of the suites will jump from 340 square feet in the RCA Dome to an average of 491 square feet in the new stadium. Suites will be equipped with wireless Internet access, built-in refrigerators, granite countertops and other amenities.

There'll be more than 550 flat-screen televisions.

According to the preliminary designs, suites will also feature recessed lighting and glass-topped coffee tables. The sole Quarterback suite, which will be shared by fans who can buy up to eight season tickets to it, has more of a party-room atmosphere than private living room.

Colts Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Zupancic said his marketing team made its first pitch to suite holders at a reception last week. Next week, the team will begin one-on-one visits with those companies as well as 48 others on a waiting list.

The least expensive suites, the stadium's Mini suites, will go for $40,000 a year.

Because of seating configurations, that price works out to $625 per seat, per game, a bit more than the $611 per-seat, per-game price in the most expensive Super suite.

Still, companies will need deep pockets to lease a Super suite: Those will go for up to $235,000 a year.

Under IRS corporate entertainment rules, about half the cost is tax-deductible.

The average starting price for a suite in NFL stadiums is $59,600; high-end suites in the league average $183,850, according to Revenues from Sports Venues, a sports marketing trade publication.

A Super suite tenant will get an extra perk available to no other suite holder: the option to express a bit of individuality in the design.

Greg Hylton, vice president of premium seat and ticket sales, said companies that buy Super suites will be able to pick from different types of sofas and possibly wall hangings. Companies, however, will not be able to bring in furniture, or, for example, pick a crazy shade of carpeting, he said.

The team's marketing drive doesn't stop with suites. The Colts, which locked up a $122 million stadium naming rights deal with Lucas Oil Products last month, are working on selling naming rights to entrance gates and the interior corners of the stadium.

Also, at the end of April, the Colts will start marketing the stadium's plush, roomier club seats, which offer the best views near the 50-yard line.

While NFL teams must share television revenue, the Colts get to keep any money they make in leasing suites or club seats.

How they stack up

Super suite
• Annual cost: Up to $235,000
• What you get: A say in the design of the biggest suites (948 square feet, up to 48 seats), private restrooms.

Field-level suite
• Annual cost: $90,000
• What you get: 21 seats, 10 feet from end zone; option to buy SRO tickets for 10 extra guests; four 32-inch TVs.

Luxury suite
• Annual cost: $74,500 and up
• What you get: Sideline and end zone views; 21 seats plus four faux leather lounge chairs and four 32-inch TVs.

Mini suite
• Annual cost: $40,000
• What you get: Smallest at 136 square feet and 8 seats. And costliest in a way: $625 per seat per game.

Quarterback suite
• Annual cost per ticket: $3,750 to $4,000
• What you get: Shared 160-seat suite; buyers get up to 8 season tickets. Only suite with food and drink included.

The little extras
Here's a look at some of the enticements the Colts are promising if you're ready to plunk down big bucks to become a suite lessee:
• Brushed aluminum name plaque outside your suite.
• A suite attendant.
• Wi-fi access.
• Remote-control lighting.
• Away-game viewing parties at Union
Federal Football Center.
• Two field visits for four guests per season.
• Game statistics fed via video network.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20060322&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=603220451&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Available space: This is an illustration of a model of a Luxury suite, one of five suite designs to be offered at Lucas Oil Stadium. A Luxury suite will have 16 theater-style seats and five bar stools.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060322&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=603220802&Ref=PH&Item=1&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80
A brochure promoting 142 suites to be built in Lucas Oil Stadium features color renderings and details on the perks and prices of five types of suites. This is the Quarterback Suite, which would be able to seat 160 people. Unlike the other suites, it would be shared by individual buyers who could each purchase up to eight season tickets. Also unlike the others, food and drink would be included for fans in the Quarterback Suite.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060322&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=603220802&Ref=PH&Item=2&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80
An illustration of the Mini Suite model, the smallest of those being offered at 136 square feet and eight seats. Still, they're the most expensive on a per-seat, per-game basis: $625.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060322&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=603220802&Ref=PH&Item=3&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80
The Super Suite is the largest of all, at 948 square feet. It can accommodate up to 48 fans in theater seats and on bar stools. Additional seating is shown here.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060322&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=603220802&Ref=PH&Item=4&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80
The Field-Level Suite will offer patrons 21 seats just 10 feet from the end zone. It also will feature four 32-inch televisions.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006603220451

I like it, however I thought they did a better job with Conseco Fieldhouse, they still captured the spirit of one of the older basketball arenas yet it still looks modern in design.

I think it is a different design, but it is definitely going to be a good stadium!!

Here is a live web cam of the construction:

http://www2.indystar.com/users/special/stadium_cam/webcam.jpg

I reckon the Colts new stadium is GREAT! Whether it's retro or not, I think giving stadiums more of their own identity is a good thing, and the US appears to be doing this in spades. Good on 'em I say. This one's a cracker - looks like a cross between a barn and an aircraft hangar - and at least when it's seen, people will be able to associate it with Indianapolis. Just like the Reliant - people know that's Houston. Same goes for Phoenix's new stadium. And there's no mistaking the Seahawks new ground (loosely reminiscent of Sydney's Olympic Stadium... until you see Seattle's open end) which is unusually intimate for an NFL venue, apparently trying to recreate the Husky stadium's overwhelming atmosphere.

Sadly in Europe, many stadiums are alike or dull as. There are exceptions of course - look at Allianz - can't mistake that for anywhere but Germany, and I guess Wembley but then the only defining feature there is the arch. Here in Australia, I think in the most part stadia are a bit old-fashioned and hotch-potch but many do have size going for them. And then there's good old Perth..... propose a wacky new tennis stadium here and the knockers come out of the woodwork - all the boring old conservative farts with their pipes and slippers saying it won't fit in here. Of course it won't fit in here - that's why it's good! Maybe then Perth may can start to build a reputation for itself that befits its partisan, and passionate supporters.

So IMHO, I think the Yanks are doing it right for once.

Whoopsie - looks like I overstepped the mark. Don't you agree with what I said though Andy?

^ I don't know if you read my PM, but if you haven't read it now.

^ One more time and your outa here.

well, Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) will be open-ended too...it is also retractable and will be the first in the country to do so. I am still not happy with the cock-eyed site, but I do see why it is so. LOS will be huge too! Over 100' taller then the RCA Dome and almost 300' in total! That is MASSIVE for a stadium. Also, its position just north of I-70 will make it very noticable to anyone driving through the City. I can't wait until all of the ancillary development around the site begins. That area of downtown is a no-mans land (literally) as it used to be all manufacturing and warehouses. Any opportunity for our great, compact downtown to expand is fine by me.

As mentioned, LOS will be 63,000, but expandable to 70,000, therefore making it worth the investment.

Its one of those buildings that can only be judged once built, its tricky pulling off a 'classic' design like this stadium is trying to do...

Current
http://www.tarabeimershaw.com/Colts/051128-Pitts-Colts/images/19_jpg.jpg

vs

New
http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20050915&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=509150489&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4575/Capture4.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=Capture4.jpg) http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8757/Capture_6.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=Capture_6.jpg) http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2461/Capture_5.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=Capture_5.jpg) http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/452/Capture_4.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=Capture_4.jpg) http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7922/Capture_3.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=Capture_3.jpg) http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4489/Capture_2.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=Capture_2.jpg)

These new images changes my opinion on the new stadium. Really didn't like the design when I first viewed it but these images show a more refined designed. Granted, I still don't care for the faux-retro exterior scheme but the concourse look nice and the bleachers have a smart layout relative to their exterior shell.

Shades of Indiana color stadium design
Playbook for Colts' new home melds Indy's urban vibe, state's limestone

In designing the Indianapolis Colts' new stadium, the architects wanted to remind fans of the heyday of college football but also impart the chic air of a downtown loft.

So they encased the building in traditional brick and limestone, reminiscent of an old college stadium.
And they gave the stadium a slick, metropolitan look by exposing the roof's two giant steel super-trusses, which reach down to the ground like anchors at the corners of the stadium.
The end result, created by architects from Dallas-based HKS Inc., is a mingling of the classic and the modern, with a nod to city life and sports history.
"Without being labeled, we want people to look at this stadium and know this is Indiana's stadium," said Bryan K. Trubey, the lead designer for HKS on the project.
Still two years from completion, the $675 million Lucas Oil Stadium is just starting to take shape as the foundation is being laid and the framework is starting to go up.
When it's done, the architects -- who hadn't designed an NFL stadium before -- are hoping they've created the equivalent of a Neiman Marcus (or a Nordstrom for Hoosiers) of sports venues.
"We weren't just designing a stadium, we were designing a new building for Downtown Indianapolis," Trubey said.
From the pitch of the retractable roof down to the color of the bricks, the elements of the stadium's design were thoroughly researched before even sketching began.
That brick-and-limestone traditional look comes after architects dug into the storied history of college and pro football in Indiana and the Midwest. With a strong pigskin tradition, a modern-looking stadium, the architects figured, wouldn't fit.
The color of the stadium's bricks, which will have a brownish tint with iron flecks, is designed to complement the color of old Downtown offices, such as the Century Building at 36 S. Pennsylvania St., built in 1901.
"That color of brick seems to be unique to this area," Trubey said.
Architects didn't have to go far to find white accents for the brick facade -- they're limestone, from Bedford.
Unlike several other NFL stadiums, Indiana's, which will open in August 2008, is not in the suburbs, and architects wanted to remind fans that they're watching football in an urban setting.
Whether the roof is open or closed, fans will see steel trusses that span from side to side overhead, plus two giant steel super-frames that run the length of the stadium.
HKS, which is now designing its second NFL stadium, for the Dallas Cowboys, was selected for the job after a behind-closed-doors competition that started in 2004 and which was organized by the Marion County Capital Improvement Board.
Since then, the project has been turned over to the state, which will select a different firm to design an expansion to the Convention Center.
Board President Fred Glass said the board picked HKS not just because of the design it came up with, but because of the firm's willingness to work with local officials.
With such a significant investment into the city's Downtown, local urban design experts hope this colossal building's design can be merged into the Downtown's southwest quadrant.
Scott Truex, director of Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning: Indianapolis Center, would like to see retail and restaurant outlets worked into the ground floor space so the stadium more easily blends with Downtown.
Local architect Jim Lingenfelter of Five2Five Design Studio, who is also involved in urban planning, would like to see more street-level development of the public spaces that surround the building -- which would help break up its mammoth size.
That's one reason HKS architects say they placed the building on an angle, to create more open spaces on all sides of the stadium, for gathering areas and admission lines.
The positioning of the stadium within the city block is one of its most unique features.
It's at an angle, in deference to Monument Circle, which the building faces. The angled positioning also complements the look of the streets that serve as spokes radiating to and from the center of Downtown.
Also, the angle will give motorists on I-70, which runs just south of the site, a three-dimensional look at the building -- a better view than looking at this giant stadium head-on.
As it turned out, the angle helped construction workers avoid problems with Pogues Run, an underground stream that flows through Downtown Indianapolis. The stream, which complicates excavation because workers have to dig around it, only runs under one corner of the site.
One part of the design was non-negotiable: The stadium had to have a retractable roof.
But HKS' architects put their signature on Lucas Oil's roof by designing it to move in a way that's unlike the NFL's two other stadiums with retractable roofs, in Houston and in Glendale, Ariz.
The roof here will split apart and move toward the sidelines -- not the end zones. In this way, the roof doesn't hang out of the edge of the building and thus won't conceal the design, as Houston's Reliant Stadium does.
HKS designed the roof so that its stationary sections provide cover for the upper sideline seats, in an attempt to give fans a sense of intimacy in the seating bowl.
It's hard to provide intimacy in a 1.8-million-square-foot sports complex. After all, nearly two and a half Conseco Fieldhouses could fit inside this new stadium.
But that was an important consideration to the city and the Colts, Trubey said, so designers moved the seats closer to the sidelines to give fans some of the most up-close field views in the NFL.
For Indianapolis Colts Senior Executive Vice President Pete Ward, the size of the stadium is one of its greatest features.
"The wider concourses. The plazas. The food courts," said Ward, who practically gushes about his team's new home.
Seats and suites will be bigger, too, and those concourses will seem even roomier as natural light pours in from giant windows that line the hallways.
"When I look at the design, I see old-time football blended with the space age," Ward said. "This is going to be a great place to experience NFL football."

The RCA Dome is the best of the 2. No need to replace it.

Bad day USA

http://www.techspot.com/gallery/data/504/13880bad_dive_day.jpg

Construction Cam:
http://www2.indystar.com/users/special/stadium_cam/webcam.jpg


New Renderings:
http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=2&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=3&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=4&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=8&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=10&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=11&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=12&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=16&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=19&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

Do we get to say, world's greatest stadium until we see the Dolphins Stadium and Cowboys Park renderings?

no

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BG&Dato=20060425&Kategori=MULTIMEDIA01&Lopenr=604260804&Ref=PH&Item=11&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Q=80

Looks like a train station

no

Why not? I think its really outstanding. Very, very well designed and thought out stadium, rather than just trying to be as big and modern as it could be. To me its as well thought out as Qwest and Safeco.

I love it personally. I love the big windowns at each end zone. Like how one of the end zones look out into downtown. I like the arches on the outside and all the light it will it let in. Sometimes even ratracktable roof stdiums can feel a bit too enclosed but this stadium will let in lots of light and I like the angles.

It will be too small to ever hold a Super Bowl though right? That is the only unfortunate thing about it. Maybe Indy doesn't have the infrastructure to hold one comfortably anyway though.

I don't know if they're wanting a Superbowl. I do know part of the reason it is being built is to host the Final Four on a regular basis. I don't know if the floor can lower or what, but apparently, like Ford Field, it will be able to host basketball at the center of the floor as opposed to one end. 70,000+ for the Final Four. I've seen renderings of this. Just hope its not as flat at floor level as the Kentucky-MSU game at floor level.

That stadium is CLASS! I can see now why it was built at that angle, to get in the skyline. I really wish the Cards had thought about those windows at the ends like they did in Indy.

Anyone know which cardinal direction the stadium faces? Almost all stadiums in the US are build North/South ... i can think of only two exceptions.

That stadium is CLASS! I can see now why it was built at that angle, to get in the skyline. I really wish the Cards had thought about those windows at the ends like they did in Indy.

Anyone know which cardinal direction the stadium faces? Almost all stadiums in the US are build North/South ... i can think of only two exceptions.

It's on a 60 degree angle, facing Northeast. It's sort of a traditional Indy thing for certain things to face Monument Circle, which marks the exact center of Indy, and the exact center of the state of Indiana.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=118685

But moreso, it's for the view, and the opportunity for views of the stadium from 4 gathering points around the stadium, specifically from television crews. It was done to show off this classic $675,000,000 brick and Indiana Limestone Hooiser Fieldhouse from ground level.

I love it personally. I love the big windowns at each end zone. Like how one of the end zones look out into downtown. I like the arches on the outside and all the light it will it let in. Sometimes even ratracktable roof stdiums can feel a bit too enclosed but this stadium will let in lots of light and I like the angles.

It will be too small to ever hold a Super Bowl though right? That is the only unfortunate thing about it. Maybe Indy doesn't have the infrastructure to hold one comfortably anyway though.
This thing was partially designed to hold a superbowl. It has the capacity for 70,000 seats, and Indy's hotel density is about double what's needed for superbowl capacity according to superbowl.com. Indy is ideal for a superbowl except for the cold weather issue actually. Indy hosts the world's 3 largest sporting events by attendance annually, the Indy 500, the US Grand Prix, and the Brickyard 400 so the superbowl would be a piece of cake logistically. We're expecting one as early as 2012.

Although... I'm not really sure we need one. It'd be nice, but seeing these things from the perspective of someone who lives with the equivalent of at least several superbowls a year.... big events are really no big deal. They're kind of a pain in the ass really.. not that I'd want to turn down a superbowl, but watching Detroit people acting as if hosting the superbowl would be a panacea to all their ills kind of soured me on the idea..

^True, I never thought about that. Especially the Brickyard and Indy 500. Doesn't get much larger than those two annually.

^True, I never thought about that. Especially the Brickyard and Indy 500. Doesn't get much larger than those two annually.
Take just those 3 events, throw in the occasional Final 4 and Big 10 tournaments etc., and Indy probably has equal the logistical problems... along with the economic impact... we'd have if Indy held the Olympics every year.

That fact should give any city hoping to host major events like the Superbowl or the Olympics etc. pause. Sure mega events are good for a city, but you need to be realistic about the overall impact. The Superbowl, Olympics, World Cup etc. won't make or break any city. It'll just be one hell of a good party (and give ya one hell of a hangover) and make a few rich people richer.

It's a good thing that the final renderings doesn't have a hanging videoboard like those in basketball and ice hockey arenas.

Do we get to say, world's greatest stadium until we see the Dolphins Stadium and Cowboys Park renderings?
don't know if you're aware of it, but HKS, the designer of Lucas Oil Stadium, is the designer of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. I'm looking forward to seeing the renders.

It's a good thing that the final renderings doesn't have a hanging videoboard like those in basketball and ice hockey arenas.
You mean like this?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/dubdub57/2004_1220_stadium2.jpg

Aaarrgh! They only bring it out for Basketball and/or Hockey games.

Here is a nice illustration:

http://www2.indystar.com/users/factfiles/landmarks/0423_stadium_graphic.pdf

^Wow, that is pretty sweet. One of the best designs ever.

You mean like this?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/dubdub57/2004_1220_stadium2.jpg


Yikes.

Yikes.
Largest Basketball arena in the world Baybee!!

I think it´s one of the worst stadium design I ever seen,.............it´s not retro..........it´s simply bad architecture, nothing else.

to each their own, BUT, the design has really grown on me and I can't wait for its completion!

I think it´s one of the worst stadium design I ever seen,.............it´s not retro..........it´s simply bad architecture, nothing else.

I think it totally accomplishes what its trying to do.

Largest Basketball arena in the world Baybee!!

Ehh, not really my cup of tea

Yeeeeah...the basketball part needs some serious re-tooling.

The progress is coming along nicely...this thing is going t be nearly 300' tall...and that is with the floor/court/field recessed into the ground! A building this big at that height is massive!

'Bones' of stadium go up
Project on schedule to open for '08 season

Nine months after construction work started, one corner of the new Lucas Oil Stadium is starting to look like a football stadium. Passers-by can see where the seats will go, and peer into what eventually will be luxury suites.

The work
Construction started in the southwest quadrant and is moving clockwise, with 10 construction cranes dotting the skyline. The foundation walls that will encircle the stadium are nearly complete, but the southwest quadrant is where progress is noticeable. Workers are positioning concrete framework that will serve as the mold for concrete, which supports the stadium's decks. Already, three levels have been started in this corner -- the field, lower suite and club levels. Concrete stairsteps that will serve as supports for the seating deck -- where the fans' seats will be bolted -- are already visible.

The workers
About 350 construction workers, nearly all from Central Indiana, are on the site. They're specializing in concrete pouring, inspections, excavation and electrical work. At the project's peak, between 1,600 and 1,800 workers will be on the job in the 1.8 million square foot facility.

Time and money
Though spring rains have slowed workers, who are battling muddy conditions and slippery steel rebar, construction managers say they're still on time to deliver the Indianapolis Colts' new $675 million home by kickoff of the 2008 football season.

More than half of the contracts already have been awarded on the project. Contracts that still have to be awarded include the stadium seating, specialty finishes such as the lockers and interior drywall.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20060519&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=605190537&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Progress: In view of the Colts' current home, the RCA Dome, Lucas Oil Stadium is taking shape. Three levels have been started in the southwest corner.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006605190537

Any question
I designed it
r

http://www2.indystar.com/users/special/stadium_cam/webcam.jpg

Digging deeper: Stadium costs rise
Price of steel, ground cleanup among factors creating overruns

A spike in steel prices and unexpected pollution cleanup expenses have created cost overruns that threaten to bust Lucas Oil Stadium's $675 million budget.

At the end of July, two-thirds of the money set aside to deal with unforeseen costs had been gobbled up, and that doesn't count an unplanned, multimillion-dollar parking garage that likely needs to be built.

To rein in costs, officials have been tweaking designs and making cuts, such as eliminating an elevator and using battery-powered -- instead of electric-powered -- self-flushing toilets.

But that may not be enough.

"There's a good chance the project is going to have budget problems," said John Klipsch, executive director of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority.

Any overruns could affect more than the stadium because the board overseeing construction is also charged with expanding the Indiana Convention Center. As a result, officials could tap money reserved for that project if they have to.

The stadium's $50 million contingency fund is down to less than $20 million.

Steel has caused the biggest financial headache.

John Anton, a steel industry analyst for Massachusetts-based Global Insight, said the price of structural steel has climbed to an all-time high, thanks to increasing demand from China and limited resources needed to produce steel.

"I don't think it was gross negligence," Anton said of the miscalculation. "I had a lower price forecast for this year than what actually occurred."

The price was also affected by a limited the number of companies capable of assembling the roof or getting bonded to do the work, Klipsch said. While those issues were factored into the original estimate, even fewer companies bid on the work than expected, he said.

Dirt posed another problem.

The land where Lucas Oil Stadium is being built was used over the years for a variety of purposes, including warehousing and a rail transfer yard.

Borings were done to determine which contaminants were in the soil. But the state didn't own all the property it needed at the same time, which limited testing before construction began, Klipsch said.

In other cases, tests didn't reveal the extent of the problem. Borings in one place revealed contamination 6 feet below the surface, but problems were found even deeper a few feet away.

As a result, more than 190,000 tons of dirt laced with pollutants such as petroleum, PCBs and heavy metals had to be trucked away -- more than expected, said Scott Blanchard, contract manager for Hunt Construction Group, which is managing the project.

"It sounds like they were running some risk with this project because they didn't have the opportunity to do due diligence (on the soil) in advance," said Chris Hendrickson, a professor in the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

As for insurance, Klipsch said the cost of some policies jumped wildly after Hurricane Katrina.

Original estimates didn't include professional liability coverage to protect against design and construction errors. Companies carry policies of their own that apply to all projects they are working on, but the building authority decided to spend $5.5 million to buy $20 million worth of extra coverage.

Future costs
At this point, about $17 million is left in the contingency fund, and there is at least one other unbudgeted cost to deal with.

Officials will likely have to build a parking garage, in part because all of the property for surface lots wasn't acquired. That could cost as much as $15 million.

David Frick, chairman of the building authority, said the board is looking for ways to build the garage without tapping the contingency fund. One idea is to borrow money, then use anticipated revenue from the garage to pay off the debt.

In the meantime, officials said they are continuing to adjust stadium designs to control costs.

For instance, the decision to power some self-flushing toilets with batteries will save $136,000, Klipsch said. Removing a few catwalks from the roof cut $2.3 million. Concrete walls in some concourses will now be painted, rather than burnished, a technique that creates a more natural, shiny look. That change will save more than a half-million dollars.

Klipsch also noted that a quarter of work hasn't been awarded on the project. Some of those contracts could end up costing less than estimated and help stay within budget, he said.

If the project goes over budget despite those efforts, no one should be too surprised.

"Cost overruns (in stadiums) are very, very common," said Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College professor and leading sports economist. "Easily three-quarters of sports facilities have cost overruns. They can run anywhere between 20 and 50 percent. Sometimes they're even considerably above that."

In some cases, taxpayers -- who foot the vast majority of stadium construction bills -- are shielded from overruns by agreements requiring teams to pick up additional costs.

The Arizona Cardinals will chip in about $62 million more than planned to cover cost increases at their new home, which opens this month. The Chicago Bears paid $49 million in overruns when Soldier Field renovations cost more than planned.

Here, there's no such deal.

The question, then, becomes how to cover the cost overruns.

How to pay
Klipsch said asking for more tax money is an "unacceptable solution."

One possibility could involve dipping into cash intended to expand the Convention Center, a project set to begin in 2008 when the stadium is done.

Though the stadium has been pegged at $675 million and the convention center at $275 million, there's nothing to prevent board members from spending more on one and less on another.

Klipsch said that is not "anybody's desire."

But asked whether he could guarantee that it won't be the case, he said: "It's too early to make that commitment."

Fred Glass, head of the city's Capital Improvement Board, which will take control of and manage the stadium and Convention Center once they are built, said he is "extremely worried" that the convention center could get short shrift. Officials have long argued the expansion -- and the convention industry in general -- are vital to the city's economic success.

Despite his concerns, Glass said he believes tax increases implemented to pay for the projects will generate enough money to make both happen, even if they cost more than expected.

And he trusts the building authority will get the job done.

"I don't doubt they're going to do everything they can to deliver what needs
to be delivered for the community," he said.

As for the stadium, only time will tell whether it will stay within budget.

"Call me back in two years and I'll tell you," Frick said.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20060811&Kategori=NEWS02&Lopenr=608110470&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
WORK IN PROGRESS: Construction continues on Lucas Oil Stadium. Go to IndyStar.com/stadium for the latest Stadium-Cam photos, a time-lapse sequence of cam photos showing construction so far, design renderings and other multimedia on the stadium.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060811/NEWS02/608110470&SearchID=73253678391816

What a wonderful stadium, love the design, goes so well with your other stadiums. Quite Jealous of the look. No one in Australia ever puts this effort in. Congratulations Love it!!!

Stadium on schedule after 1st year of work
But unforeseen costs may still drive project over budget

Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking for Lucas Oil Stadium, and workers have almost finished pouring the foundation. They are now building the "superstructure," or skeleton.

More than 70,000 cubic yards of concrete have been used so far, giving shape to 1,050 support columns and 455,330 square feet of deck.

Fourteen cranes dot the site.

The bulk of the work now taking place is on the building's west side along Missouri Street, where the structure is already seven levels tall.

Inside, workers have started assembling the concrete bowl that will hold the seats, while plumbers, electricians and other laborers are installing drains, ductwork, and sprinkler and electrical systems. The men's room on the street-level concourse is taking shape, with brackets in place that will eventually hold stalls.

Even as the frame is being built, passers-by will see the steel roof start to rise over the stadium in the next few weeks. All told, the roof will take about 14 months to complete and include more than 14,000 tons of steel.

The building's brick facade also will begin going up along the west side around the second week in October.

Labor
On any given day, 560 people are working to make it all happen. Through the end of August, they had logged a combined 528,381 hours.

Since the beginning of July, contractors have been working a second shift, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., to maximize how much can get done in a day. Money for the extra hours was built into the project's budget, so it won't affect the bottom line, said Scott Blanchard, contract manager for Hunt Construction Group, which is managing the project.

So far, the construction site has been relatively safe, with 55 injuries, according to project officials. Of those, 16 required first aid on site. Thirty-seven injuries needed off-site medical attention but were minor enough that the workers returned to the job the same day.

Only two injuries resulted in lost workdays: One worker suffered a dislocated shoulder, the other a torn ligament. Both are back at work.

"We're doing pretty well out here so far," Blanchard said.

Money
John Klipsch, the head of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority, is confident the stadium will be done on time, but whether it will be completed within budget isn't as certain.

Through late August, the stadium authority had gobbled up $33.4 million of the project's $50 million contingency fund, thanks largely to higher-than-expected costs for contaminated soil, steel and insurance.

That leaves about $16.6 million to deal with surprises that pop up over the next two years.

One potential budget-buster that is already known: Officials may have to build a parking garage after failing to acquire all of the property needed for surface lots. That could cost more than $15 million.

Possibilities are being explored to solve the problem without draining what's left of the contingency fund. The authority is in discussions with other property owners in the area about buying more land for surface parking, Klipsch said, and officials also could look into borrowing money, then using anticipated revenue from the garage to pay off that debt.

"It's a challenge," Klipsch said of staying within budget, "but we're not ready to throw in the towel and say it's not enough."

What's next?
As construction continues, stadium authority officials will continue to make decisions that shape how the stadium looks and runs.

About 25 percent of the contracts still must be awarded. Among the big ones: landscaping, the security system and interior details such as flooring and paint.

Furniture for the suites must be picked out, refrigerators and other equipment have to be ordered, and scoreboards and video boards must be purchased.

In the meantime, Indianapolis officials must figure out how they will cover day-to-day costs of running the stadium, which will be turned over to the Marion County Capital Improvement Board once it is built. CIB officials said recently that Lucas Oil Stadium will cost $10 million more a year to operate than the RCA Dome, and there's no money set aside to do it.

Gov. Mitch Daniels has said the state won't pitch in.

Fred Glass, the head of the CIB, said there still are no plans for stemming the shortfall. But he noted that two years are left to come up with a solution before the stadium opens.

"This is a super-big deal, but I don't think it's a super-urgent deal," Glass said. "If we can turn the temperature down and try to deal with this in a dispassionate way, that's a good thing."

STADIUM TIMELINE
• January 2002: Mayor Bart Peterson and the Colts begin discussing the feasibility of a new stadium.
• Dec. 19, 2004: Peterson and Colts owner Jim Irsay announce they have reached an agreement for a $500 million, 63,000-seat retractable-roof stadium to be financed by slot machines in Downtown Indianapolis.
• Dec. 20, 2004: Details of the plan show the cost could be $190 million higher than announced.
• March 2005: A plan to finance the stadium with revenue from slot machines dies in the state legislature.
• April 2005: Following months of tense negotiations between the state and city, Peterson announces he will let the state take control of the stadium project.
• April 29, 2005: The General Assembly approves a financing plan for a new stadium and expansion of the Convention Center. It calls for an increase in hotel, car rental and admissions taxes in Marion County and in restaurant taxes in Marion and the surrounding counties. The two projects will cost more than $900 million.
• June 13, 2005: The City-County Council approves a 2 percent food and beverage tax for Marion County, doubling the present tax. The council also approves a 3 percent increase in the Marion County hotel tax, a 2 percent increase in the county car rental tax and a 1 percent increase in the ticket tax at sporting venues.
• August 25, 2005: Construction crews begin demolition at the stadium site.
• August 30, 2005: The city and the Colts agree on a 30-year lease for a new stadium, ensuring that the Colts stay in Indianapolis at least until 2034.
• September 8, 2005: The Indiana Stadium and Convention Center Building Authority approves an agreement with the city and the Colts. It also agrees to a $40 million loan so construction can begin, and $15 million in contracts for fencing, excavation and sewers.
• September 20, 2005: A groundbreaking ceremony is held for the stadium, several weeks later than the scheduled August 1 date.
• Dec. 21, 2005: In a construction update, it is reported that contracts worth $125 million have been awarded, 75 percent of the excavation is complete and concrete work has begun.
• Feb. 27, 2006: Hillsdale Fabricators is awarded an $82.8 million contact to provide steel for the stadium's retractable roof, bringing to more than $225 million the amount awarded in contracts. After some changes, the contract is now worth about $80.5 million.
• August 22, 2006: Irwin Seating Co. wins an $11.3 million contract.
• August 26, 2006: The Capital Improvement Board says Lucas Oil Stadium will cost about $10 million more per year to operate than the RCA Dome, and there is no money to cover the extra costs.
• September 2006: Steel for the stadium's roof is expected to begin arriving. The roof will use more than 14,000 tons of steel and take 14 months to complete.
• October 2006: Exterior brickwork is scheduled to start.
• Spring 2007: Work on the concrete superstructure, or skeleton, is scheduled to be completed.
• Fall 2007: Crews will begin assembling the lower seating bowl.
• August 2008: Stadium is scheduled for completion.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060917/LOCAL19/609170463&SearchID=73257583794565

Stadium builder a giant among cranes

The largest crane needed to build Lucas Oil Stadium began arriving last week. And it's big.

Made by Manitowoc Crane Group of Wisconsin, it can lift up to 600 tons, and its arm will tower a whopping 390 feet -- longer than a football field.

Putting it together is a construction job in its own right. Thirty-nine semis are needed to deliver the crane, the last of which should rumble into town Tuesday, said Kevin Nash, a general superintendent for Hunt Construction Group, which is managing the stadium project. It will take 480 man-hours to assemble.

The crane will hoist massive pieces of steel needed to build the stadium's state-of-the-art retractable roof. It should be on site about 14 months and is expected to make from 400 to 500 "picks," the heaviest of which will be 245 tons.

While big cranes have been used in local construction projects before, those are typically "tower cranes," which stay in one place. This one is special because it can crawl around at a speed of 0.7 mph -- key on a large site.

"As far as Downtown work, I don't think you've seen anything like that," Nash said.

In fact, there are only about a dozen of these cranes in the world, and only half of them are in the United States, according to the crane's manufacturer.

Use of the crane is being arranged by St. Louis-based Hillsdale Fabricators, which has an $80.5 million contract to build the stadium roof.

The company is paying $120,000 to $130,000 a month to rent the crane from Dawes Rigging and Crane Rental of Milwaukee, said Craig Fesler, of Alberici Enterprises, Hillsdale's parent company. Getting it here cost an additional $100,000.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20060918&Kategori=LOCAL&Lopenr=609180436&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Lots of assembly required: The crane takes 480 man-hours to put together.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006609180436

Building a stadium
An update on construction of Lucas Oil Stadium, set for completion in August 2008

What's going on?
Work has started on the stadium's state-of-the-art retractable roof, with crews working in the site's northwest corner to install base plates that will support the steel. At the same time, the installation of the concrete seating bowl continues at night, and workers have begun installing the exterior brick facade on the stadium's west side.

What's next?
As work progresses on the roof, passers-by should start to see the first steel column peeking out from above the concrete in the southwest corridor in about a month. Shortly after, temporary shoring towers will be built for support as workers assemble two horizontal supertrusses that will form the main frame of the roof. When complete, each supertruss will weigh 2,100 tons and be 750 feet long.

Any problems?
The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority still hasn't come up with a solution for a parking shortage caused when officials failed to acquire enough land for surface lots. Negotiations are continuing with nearby property owners to see whether more land can be bought. Otherwise, a garage will have to be built. A final decision is expected in the spring.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20061008&Kategori=LOCAL19&Lopenr=610080411&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
At work: A view of Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday. Work on the stadium's retractable roof has started.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061008/LOCAL19/610080411/1006/LOCAL

Don't know when these larger renderings became available, but nice nice nice.

http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/SterrBanners1.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/SectionSkin.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/SectionBowl.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/NorthPlazaPedestrian.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/BowlSeatLower.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/BowlNightCrowd.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/BowlNight.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_522/AerialNE.jpg
http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/renderings_807/north_party_plaza.jpg

Great pics!

yuck

looks like a church on the inside and a farmerstock house on the outside... don't like it to be hounest.

im liking it

terrific looking stadium - looks to be making a nod to the history of indianapolis too. real shame the capacity isn't going to be any higher - but maybe NFL teams aren't so concerned about stadium capacity if TV and merchandising revenues are so stratospheric

Great Stadium for Payton to throw Interceptions. Im liking the sound of this. lol.

Reminds me of a hospital, or a factory. Can't say that I like it. Sorry Indianapolis.

Whats wrong with the RCA anyway?

RCA= not enough suites. Suites are the only revenue owners don't have to share.

RCA = Too few seats that make enough money per the upcoming revenue sharing agreement.

RCA = Dome

RCA = Not as basketball flexible as the new building will be.

lucas oil stadium?

lucas oil stadium?

Yes indeedy. I'm hoping cities might start buying naming rights. Cities do spend millions promoting themselves. Even states could. They promote themselves as well. Some of the corporate names just don't fit at all.

This name isn't any worse than quite a few currently out there, but I have to agree certain stadiums should not sell naming rights. This isn't one of them though.

Yes indeedy. I'm hoping cities might start buying naming rights. Cities do spend millions promoting themselves. Even states could. They promote themselves as well. Some of the corporate names just don't fit at all.
I agree . . . that's actually a great idea :applause:

the interior is great but i cant say i like the farmhouse look of the roof..its a bit too outdated of a design for such a modern venue

I'd imagine the roof looks like that because that's what fieldhouse roofs look like. Its not supposed to look modern. Yet that barn roof opens and the end windows open as well. We in the states have little culture in the US itself, and this is one of those few that people in Indiana might hold near and dear to their hearts. I think its a great emotional tug, especially considering there are plenty of JerryWorlds, Paul Brown Stadiums and Reliants to hold up the modernity banner.

I'd imagine the roof looks like that because that's what fieldhouse roofs look like. Its not supposed to look modern. Yet that barn roof opens and the end windows open as well. We in the states have little culture in the US itself, and this is one of those few that people in Indiana might hold near and dear to their hearts. I think its a great emotional tug, especially considering there are plenty of JerryWorlds, Paul Brown Stadiums and Reliants to hold up the modernity banner.

The first time I saw it, I thought, "wtf? it looks like a huge frickin barn!" I thought about it for a while and I thought, "Cool! it looks like a frickin huge barn!". It looks exactly like it should look. This is Indiana after all, the birthplace of basketball and the birthplace of the old school Hoosier Fieldhouse. Why should we build a Modern style stadium? It's far better to keep with our heritage. I'd be disappointed if we built yet another stadium that looked like a bloated alien space ship had crash landed downtown.

can they play FIFA soccer in that thing ?

dont like it....reminds me of ford field to much...........

dont like it....reminds me of ford field to much...........

Ford Field? I guess they both have brick exterior in common, but what else?

Building a stadium
An update on construction of Lucas Oil Stadium, set for completion in 2008

What's going on?
Work on the superstructure continues six days a week with a partial second shift. Cast-in-place concrete work on Quads A and D is largely complete, while still more of that work remains on Quads B and C. For the roof, workers have completed the Quad A supercolumn and set exterior towers for the first two Quad A transverse trusses.

What's next?
The plan calls for completing cast-in-place concrete superstructure work in Quad C in January. Workers also plan to start roof structural steel work in that quad next month, among other tasks.

Any problems?
The weather has been problematic. Rain has made the site muddy, and winds have slowed some of the work done by crane.

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20061217&Kategori=LOCAL19&Lopenr=612170363&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0
Building up: The view from the north end of Lucas Oil Stadium showed steel supports (foreground) Thursday.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/LOCAL19/612170363/1006/LOCAL

Stadium walkway carries $10M tab
New piece of enclosed connector system key link in efforts to lure tourists, Super Bowl

There’s a new piece of downtown infrastructure being planned that will span about a quarter of a mile and cost more than $10 million.

It will be built at street level along Capitol Avenue and connect to the soon-to-be expanded Indiana Convention Center. And it will duck underground at South Street and span another 50 yards or so before connecting to Lucas Oil Stadium.

It will be essential in drawing some of the largest events this city hosts: mega-conventions and NCAA Final Fours—the kinds of events that have hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact on Indianapolis each year. It will be a cornerstone in the city’s bid to host the 2011 Super Bowl.

Yet few area residents or business leaders are aware of the enclosed connector that will link the retractable-roof stadium to the expanded convention center.

Construction of the connector’s first phase is about to begin and will be finished by fall of 2008. It will tunnel under the north end of the stadium and South Street before ascending to an above-ground entry point on the northwest corner of South Street and Capitol Avenue.

Phase two, the above-ground portion of the project, will be completed along with the convention center expansion by September 2010.

Funding sources and the walk- way’s appearance are still being determined. City officials are working to secure federal transportation funds that could cover a large chunk of its expense. The rest will likely come from the combined $900 million stadium and convention center expansion budget.

The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority, along with officials from Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Inc. and Ratio Architects, are working on the design.

While there are still unresolved issues surrounding the project, its importance has never been questioned by project designers or city and state leaders.

“This has been seen as an absolute critical aspect since we first dreamed about this project,” said Fred Glass, president of the Capital Improvement Board, which operates the Convention Center and will do likewise for the new stadium.

The indoor, climate-controlled connector will also link the stadium to numerous downtown hotels, restaurants and Circle Centre mall via the existing network of skywalks tied to the Convention Center. It will assure that Indianapolis maintains its status of having its stadium linked via indoor connector to more hotel rooms—3,086—than any other U.S. city. A proposed hotel at Pan Am Plaza would also be tied in, which would add another 1,000 rooms.

“Without this [connector], I think you could kiss any chance of luring the Super Bowl goodbye,” said Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp Ltd., a Chicago-based sports business consultancy. “And the NCAA had a strong interest in seeing this for their events as well.”

But the connector’s impact goes beyond sports. Organizers for several of the city’s largest conventions, two of which have left Indianapolis in search of more convention space, have said having access to a convention center and stadium are paramount to their operating here.

The Convention Center expansion will add 254,000 square feet of exhibition space, for a total of 564,000 square feet. With the addition of Lucas Oil Stadium’s 183,000 square feet, Indianapolis will rank 14th in the nation in convention capacity.

“There are lots of conventions that need the broad space of the stadium for additional exhibits or can use the facility for large assemblies,” said Bob Schultz, spokesman for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. “The additional use of this facility makes our city so nimble.”

Already, there are 57 conventions booked for 2008 and beyond that will use the new stadium and convention center, Schultz said.

“There’s no question this is a big part of our success strategy,” he said. “The connectivity of our facilities and their proximity to one another have been a major thrust of marketing our city.”

Indoor connections might not be such an issue in Miami or San Diego, but they’re essential for a cold-weather climate like Indianapolis’, Ganis said.

“But I know even warm-weather cities that would like to have a set-up like the one created in Indianapolis,” he added.

There are still design issues to tackle and land to be obtained. Most of the land the connector will need is owned by The Maio Trust, Florida-based railroad company CSX Corp. and the city.

The elevated railroad tracks crossing Capitol Avenue north of South Street are among the obstacles. Designers had considered an elevated connector, but that would have been required to go 25 feet above the tracks.

“That would put it 50 feet in the air, and that just wasn’t possible,” said John Klipsch, executive director of the Stadium Authority.

So it was determined to put the connector at street level, between existing structures and the sidewalk.

“That’s going to make it very visible, so suddenly aesthetics become very important,” said Matt Stevens, president of Florida-based construction management consulting firm Stevens Construction Institute Inc., which isn’t involved in the project.

Design work recently began in earnest, and aesthetics are not being overlooked, Klipsch said.

“There’s no doubt this part of the project has its challenges due to the location of the [railroad] tracks and utilities,” Klipsch said. “It might be an afterthought to other people, but it hasn’t been to anyone involved in the project.”

In fact, the connector was a stipulation many state lawmakers sought before approving project funding.

“The connector is just one more element of this project that shows it’s not just about football and the Indianapolis Colts,” Glass said.

Taking the entire connector underground was ruled out due to the expense of moving earth and utilities. A moving conveyor system also was ruled out due to cost, Klipsch said.

There will be multiple entry points within the stadium and convention center and an additional entry point on the northwest corner of Capitol Avenue and South Street. Other entry points are under consideration. It is also being determined exactly where the connector will tie into the convention center.

Project planners are carefully weighing the aesthetics and cost of a project casual observers might think is pretty basic.

“You have to remember, the whole idea of this project—the stadium, convention center and the connection between them—is to draw people to the city,” said Stevens, who recently published a book on construction management. “So you can’t just throw up slabs of concrete and walls of steel. At the same time, you have to carefully balance the needs and wants of a project like this. It has the potential to become very expensive.”

http://chicago.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2006/12/18/3/Img/Pc0030500.jpg

http://chicago.ibj.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=SUJKLzIwMDYvMTIvMTgjQXIwMDMwMw==&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

How is it possible to see anything when you're sitting on the last row? :ohno:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/dubdub57/2004_1220_stadium2.jpg

this up here can't be serious!

playing basketball in large domes is nothig new. The Final Four actually requires at least 40,000, so sitting is up there is nothing unusual.

that new stadium is cool

Once the stadium is finished, the RCA Dome will be demolished, but what method should they use?

How is it possible to see anything when you're sitting on the last row? :ohno:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/dubdub57/2004_1220_stadium2.jpg

If anything, they'll close up the 500-600 section. Either that, or they'll align the basketball court parallel to the endzone.

Or they will do it like it is drawn up in the plans and be almost able to meet the demand for an NCAA tournament final, there are plenty of people who will pay to be in the building, be it 100 rows away. College basketball fans are incredibly passionate about our teams and would rather pay good money to watch it on the jumbotron and be in the stands than on TV at a bar or at home. Getting tickets near the court would be orgasmic, although my school probably won't get there soon (if ever). If they can get 80,000 seats they will sell out almost as soon as they go on sale.

May 2007

http://www.in.gov/iscba/media/photos/aerial_views/SouthView_05012007.jpg

Webcam

http://www.oxblue.com/client/indianastadium/

Lastest picture

http://oxblue.com/archive/8252a53cdf135347c0dd1d16228b6ff2/1024x768.jpg?area=hotitems

coming along nicely

That place is going to be spectacular, I'm going to have to make the 10 hour drive when the Bills play there for the first time.

Here is the final rendering:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/north_plaza_aerial_large.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/water_color_final.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/north_plaza_final.jpg

Ford Field? I guess they both have brick exterior in common, but what else?

They're both indoor stadia that use more conventional trussed roofing systems (albeit on a larger scale) where beforehand, indoor facilities such as this would have been regarded as 'domes'.

There's been mention on another post somewhere about there being a current movement of American stadiums, based around a "huge barn" (I think the phrase was) design, so it seems to be an accepted comparison in some quarters already. I guess you could also apply it to some baseball parks, like Miller Park.

I think the existence of large windowed areas in all these buildings instead of just open space between stands - which we would more readily associate with a stadium - completes the enclosed nature of the facilities which provides a very different set of characteristics from other types of park.

To use an analogy from nature and taxonomy, I'd argue that these particular characteristics make them a verifiable sub-species within the 'stadium kingdom'.

I usually love a classic look for new stadiums, but this is one is not really my taste. Looks like a factory from the outside.

Will there be barn dances?

Will there be barn dances?

Probably as a theme for Prom dances. :lol:

They're both indoor stadia that use more conventional trussed roofing systems (albeit on a larger scale) where beforehand, indoor facilities such as this would have been regarded as 'domes'.

There's been mention on another post somewhere about there being a current movement of American stadiums, based around a "huge barn" (I think the phrase was) design, so it seems to be an accepted comparison in some quarters already. I guess you could also apply it to some baseball parks, like Miller Park.

I think the existence of large windowed areas in all these buildings instead of just open space between stands - which we would more readily associate with a stadium - completes the enclosed nature of the facilities which provides a very different set of characteristics from other types of park.

To use an analogy from nature and taxonomy, I'd argue that these particular characteristics make them a verifiable sub-species within the 'stadium kingdom'.

I think you're confused. This design is "traditional" for Indiana. Not a current movement. The fieldhouse was the common design for indoor arena in the early 20th century. Indiana is a big basketball state the way Texas is known for football. It is known to have lots of traditional Fieldhouse arenas. No close to Ford Field which is actually a new stadium built onto the side of two old warehouse buildings.

Fieldhouse examples
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/478716634_1eabe5550a_b.jpg
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/E603/web06/P/Alexandra/12%2015%20Fall%20Portfolio/Misc/EC/Spanish%20Architecture%20Parallel_files/image004.jpg
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/9/92/Cameron_indoor.jpg

Agreed, and having read the whole of the thread before commenting, I was aware of that particularly local significance.

I still think it's a local twist on a wider stylistic movement - which is to be congratulated. The deliberate pointing of the structure towards the downtown district so it fills the open space with the 'town' looking on, almost as a spectator, is also redolent of current trends in US stadium design.

Essentially, I'm saying the egg came first here and you're insisting it was the chicken. That's all. I use that analogy deliberately because neither of us can prove the other wholly wrong.

They're leaving RCA Dome for this?:ohno:

You mean they're leaving and inflatadome with benches for the upper half of seating and a hardly any suites meaning the owner aint makin' much, for a stadium with a retractable roof and glass behind the endzone and enough suites that the Colts ownership can enjoy their jobs.

Here is the final rendering:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/north_plaza_aerial_large.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/water_color_final.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/north_plaza_final.jpg

Its still at an early stage but I must admit I'm liking the real thing more than the renders.

I put this post up yesterday on a different thread and thought you guys might like it:

Well, today was a pretty exciting day for me. I actually got to go inside the bowl to do a pour. Somethings I saw before I got inside the bowl:

1. South parking lot is starting. They are already starting to put asphalt down, and light posts. BTW, I didn't know this, but all the light posts in the parking area will have speakers on them for all the tailgators.

2. Lights on the side of the building are starting to go up. They are small spotlights pointing up alongside of the stadium. And other lights around the doors.

Okay, now what the stadium looks like inside. It was so cool driving down that ramp into the bowl. You cut right thru the inners of the stadium. Then you come into the bowl area. I really don't know how to discribe it, but "WOW!!!!" It is so huge inside. I sat there for about 45 mins (before I poured) in awe. I asked one of the ground managers about the 3 other trusses. He said they were not putting them together right now. But instead were starting on the smaller trusses where the roof will sit on. They had 3 of them done (one of them they were putting in place), and were putting the finishing touches on the other 2. Five altogether. I'm guessing they want to at least get half of them done before starting back up on the bigger trusses. They then moved me to the west side, because more and more trucks were coming in with steel. I pulled up about forty feet from the wall (the highest part of the lower deck). As I sat there, I was looking up to the press box and it looked like it was right above me. Thats how steep the seating is. I couldn't even see any of the seating from the second deck on up. I also saw that they have one of the two frames up for the replay tvs. Let me just say, it was bigger than my house. I'm guessing 3 or 4 times bigger than the one in the RCA dome. One thing I did notice is that there is a whole lot of construction left inside that bowl. I don't think any of the suites are even half way done, but I could be wrong. I still can't believe how massive it was to be in their. IMO, when done, I think the Luke will be one, if not the best stadium in the country. The design is nothing like you will ever see in your life. I have been in Hinkle and Conseco, and to me, both of them don't even come close to how beautiful this stadium will be. It is just amazing what man can do.

Well, I just wanted to share with you all on what I saw today. I'll try to keep you guys informed on what they are doing.

Read this article today, thought it was interesting:

Inside the RCA Dome, workers have been testing the public-address system, fixing broken seats and painting goal posts for tonight's preseason matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears.

August 2007: About 850 people are working on the stadium site each day, and much of their focus is on the retractable roof. Two of the five steel roof trusses that form the peak are in place. - CHARLIE NYE / The Star

Across the street, crews are busy preparing for a different season kickoff -- one that is almost exactly a year away.
Lucas Oil Stadium, the $700 million or so goliath rising just south of the RCA Dome, must be ready in time for the 2008 NFL season. The league won't set a game schedule for some time, so the state authority that is building the arena has given itself until Aug. 15, 2008, to make the stadium game-ready.
Between now and then, the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority also must solve a parking problem that has left the stadium 1,000 spaces short.
"It's an aggressive schedule everyone will work hard to meet," said John Klipsch, executive director of the building authority. "The start-up of a building of this magnitude is a monumental task. It will take a lot of people . . . burning the midnight oil."
Here's what lies ahead.
First, the roof

About 850 people are working on the stadium site each day, and much of their focus is on the roof. Two of the five steel trusses that form the peak of the roof are in place, and structural steel should be finished by the end of the year.
Retractable panels on the west side of the stadium should be operational in February. Those on the east side are expected to move for the first time in April, and the roof will be complete next summer.
The large window in the north end zone that will open to reveal a view of Downtown will be installed in late spring or early summer. Field turf will go in next summer.
Klipsch said things will get particularly intense in the final months, when construction workers will be finishing up and employees from the RCA Dome will need broad access to the stadium to learn how to use the new equipment and systems.
Dome demolition

The opening of Lucas Oil Stadium will mean the end of the RCA Dome, which will be razed to make way for an expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.
Officials overseeing the stadium and Convention Center projects hope to start taking the Dome down in April.
Before that can happen, the Colts must sign off. Pete Ward, the team's senior executive vice president, said it is too early to say whether the team will approve the envisioned timeline.
"Obviously, everyone needs to be certain that the new stadium will be ready for us before we leave the Dome," he said.
Exactly how the RCA Dome will come down is still being decided. The operation is somewhat tricky because the Dome is connected to the Convention Center, and the buildings share some utilities.
Bill Browne, president of Indianapolis-based RATIO Architects, the lead design firm on the Convention Center project, said construction managers are considering an implosion or a more conventional demolition approach that would entail removing the building in chunks.
"The implosion tends to be more spectacular, but no one is looking for that as part of this project," Browne said. "We're looking to make sure we do it properly."
Safety will be the deciding factor, Klipsch said.
In either case, it likely will take about four months to clear the site, Browne said.
Big parking problem

Under the terms of the deal with the Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium must have 3,000 parking spaces. So far, the building authority has room for 2,000, and nearby property is either too expensive or has already been gobbled up.
Building authority officials have been working for months to figure out a solution but don't have an answer.
The board considered building a parking garage, but that would cost $25 million to $30 million and is no longer a preferred option.
Klipsch wouldn't say what idea is now favored, citing continuing negotiations, but said "everything is on the table."
Among the possible solutions: putting a lot farther from the stadium, leasing spaces from an existing garage on game days or entering a public-private partnership with a developer.
Any of those ideas would need approval from the Colts, because the team's lease requires the parking spaces be in surface lots on or adjacent to stadium land.
Ward, the Colts executive, said the team is waiting to see what is presented and is "keeping an open mind."
The stadium's price tag, once $675 million, is now pegged at $695.2 million to $719.6 million -- because of higher-than-expected costs for steel, soil cleanup and insurance, and because the state paid the Colts a $48 million lease-termination fee. The new bottom line doesn't include whatever it takes to fix the parking problem.
The building authority still hasn't figured out where the extra money will come from, but Klipsch pledged that taxpayers won't be asked to chip in more.
"There will be no more tax money needed to finish this project," he said.
A need for more money

The city also is facing financial issues relating to the new stadium.
The Capital Improvement Board has estimated that the new venue eventually will cost at least $10 million more a year to run than the RCA Dome, primarily because it is bigger and will require more to heat, cool, clean, staff, maintain, insure and generally operate.
The board won't have a firm grasp on the extra costs until it has a full year of operations under its belt.
Today, a year before the new stadium opens, the city still doesn't know where the money will come from in future years.
Fred Glass, the head of the Capital Improvement Board, said the issue won't prevent the stadium from opening on time or cause a problem the first year.
The board won't take over the stadium until sometime around August, and there shouldn't be any maintenance costs at first. As a result, the board expects the new stadium to add $2 million to $4 million to its 2008 budget, and that money is expected to come from the board's reserves, Glass said.
The Capital Improvement Board also should have enough in its reserves to cover the extra operating costs for 2009 and possibly longer, though eventually it would run out of money, Glass said.
The city wanted to pay for increased operating costs with money left over after construction loans are paid, but lawmakers who approved the stadium financing package instead ordered that excess cash be used to pay down debt early. The stadium is primarily being funded by restaurant, hotel and car-rental taxes in Marion County, and restaurant taxes in surrounding counties.
Glass expects to bring the issue to the General Assembly in 2009 -- the next time the legislature takes up the state budget. He declined to say exactly what solution he would push for but said he hopes the problem can be solved without new taxes.
"My belief and hope is that we can sit down and sort out some things that can make this work in a way that everybody's comfortable with," Glass said.
Whether the state is inclined to listen is unclear.
State Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, the author of the stadium financing legislation, said he has not had any conversations with representatives of the Capital Improvement Board.
"It has to start with the CIB," he said.

Latest construction update from Colts Website

http://www.oxblue.com/archive/8252a53cdf135347c0dd1d16228b6ff2/320x240.jpg

There was a nice article in the Star the other day about the tour given on Tuesday for the architects and local tv stations. This is it: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...=2007710170479

The architects behind Lucas Oil Stadium hoped to design a building unlike any other sports arena.

65% DONE: Architects and the media get ready to tour Lucas Oil Stadium. "It looks magnificent. It's one thing to have 3-D models of what the stadium is going to look like, but it's always better in person," John Hutchings of HKS architects said.

WHAT'S NEXT

>>December: Structural steel work will be completed.

>>February: Retractable roof panels on the stadium's west side will begin to move.

>>April: Retractable roof panels on the stadium's east side will begin to move.

>>Summer: Retractable roof will be finished; north window will be completed; field turf will be installed.

>>August: Stadium scheduled to open.

Source: Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority

After touring the project Tuesday, they said it looked as if they had pulled it off.
"The first time a blimp is over this stadium for a nationally televised game, the whole country will see a roof and a stadium design here that are unlike any other in the world," said John Hutchings, a partner in Dallas-based HKS.
"As soon as they see this stadium from above, they'll know it's Indianapolis."
The stadium is about 65 percent complete.
Crews have begun to install the blue supports for hundreds of seats in about 20 sections on the stadium's west side. Work continues on the steel trusses that will support the stadium's one-of-a-kind retractable roof. Work also continues on concourses, concession stands and the tiling of stadium suites.
In all, more than 1,000 workers are on the site daily, trying to achieve the vision drawn up by HKS architects.
"It looks magnificent. It's one thing to have 3-D models of what the stadium is going to look like, but it's always better in person," said Hutchings. "I think the fans of the state of Indiana are going to be quite pleased with the results."
As the construction of retractable-roof stadiums has become more prevalent across the country, architect Bryan Trubey said many have fit into the same cookie-cutter mold. In his firm's pitch to design Lucas Oil, Trubey said it placed aerial pictures of four retractable-roof stadiums side by side.
"You couldn't tell them apart," he said. "That's become a big challenge in our business."
Lucas Oil Stadium's roof, though, will be unique.
Trubey said it will feature the only retractable roof in the country with two moving panels that will meet in a peak above the center of the stadium. Those same panels will rest above seating on the east and west sides of the stadium when the roof is open.
Also distinct to Lucas Oil will be the large window on the north side of the stadium that will open to provide a view of the Downtown skyline.
"We wanted a building that would be recognizable worldwide. We wanted to create something unique," said Trubey, also a principal with HKS. "For more than half a billion dollars, you should get that."
Lucas Oil Stadium, which is estimated to cost from $695 million to $720 million, is scheduled to open in August.

There is also a nice video link: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...EO02/310170005

I have also notice, that in the last 1 1/2 weeks they seem to be rushing to get the exterior brick molds into place. I quess they thought this great weather we are having can't last much longer. I haven't been down to the stadium this week, but I know we still have to do the steps for the party deck and lower bowl seats (which they are building now). Once the huge cranes move out, and the lower bowl is finished, I think then we will start on the concrete slab for the field. (97,000 sq ft)

Lookin good! :)

Can't wait until the Final Four! :banana:

I like the design, I just hope the old brick section of the Hurst building is preserved. We've lost enough historic buildings to stadiums. The design isn't modern, or artsy, it is designed to age gracefully, and I don't think it looks like a barn, that thing is freakin huge. The use of brick and stone is to keep it from becoming an eyesore in a decade.
It is supposed to look like an old basketball stadium(and Indiana is famouse for basketball) it also takes some reference from historic architecture in the area(mostly pre-WWII warehouses.)
I just hope we don't knock it all down for new development. I was dissapointed they demolished historic structures for a stadium mimicking their design, could they have atleast salvaged the facades? What a waste. There is alot of dispute between Hoosiers on many things, but one thing we can all agree on is basketball. This really influences the culture of Indianapolis, and the architecture.

This has to be the biggest Fieldhouse in the world.

I read an article the other week talking about what they're going to do with the RCA Dome following this season. Since the Dome is connected to the convention center imploding it would be too risky and a big cost to area business. So, they're taking it down the old fashioned way, with the wrecking ball. It is going to be something like a three step process. They'll take down the roof, demolish several areas at the same time, and finally work on expanding the convention center.

It's interesting to note that the high school football state championships will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium next year, too...

Daktronics HD-X Video Technology to Be Part of New Lucas Oil Stadium
¶ Colts Fans to Enjoy Large Video Displays and Ribbon Board Surrounding the Seating Bowl
BROOKINGS, S.D. — Daktronics (Nasdaq:DAKT) announced today that it has been chosen to provide an integrated video and scoring super system for Lucas Oil Stadium, currently under construction in Indianapolis. Installation of the $11 million dollar system is scheduled for completion prior to the start of the 2008 National Football League season. Much of the manufacturing of the system will be completed during the company's fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008.

"This will give fans the best experience possible," said Colts Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Zupancic at a press conference held earlier in Indianapolis. "Daktronics has not only the best product, but will be working with the organization to help create the graphic content for these visual elements. The boards will have the ability to portray every available statistic and advertisement, but our goal is to give the fans a clean, crisp HD view of the action on the field."

Two new large scoreboards, to be positioned in the northwest and southeast corners of the stadium, will measure approximately 97 feet wide by 53 feet high, each incorporating one large video board (97 feet wide by 37 feet high) and two smaller full-color digital displays (24 feet wide by 16 feet high).

Daktronics HD-X technology and its control system allows for complete flexibility in programming. The primary video boards can serve as single giant displays or be divided into multiple zones (windows) to show a wide variety of statistics, information, graphics, animation and live and recorded video.

Each of the main scoreboards will also include dedicated space for recognizing corporate sponsors, as well as Lucas Oil Stadium identification signage.

In addition to the two main scoreboards, Lucas Oil Stadium will feature a nearly 360 degree configuration of full-color LED technology surrounding the seating bowl. The ribbon board configuration will measure approximately 1700 feet wide by three feet high.

Advertisement
"We look forward to providing the Colts, the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority, and the fans in Indianapolis with a unique system that will rival any in the NFL," said Jay Parker, National Sales Manager for Daktronics. "Colts fans will appreciate the high resolution, vivid colors and great viewing angles of the new Daktronics HD-X video technology."

"We are pleased to make this announcement that highlights another great component of Lucas Oil Stadium," said Will Ellerbruch, Regional Sales Manager. "Daktronics presented several unique options for the venue, and the decision was made to go with the very latest LED technology. At nearly five times the size of the old video boards in the RCA Dome, and with the widest viewing angles available, fans in all the seats will have a great view of the displays."

Keyframe(R) creative services, a division of Daktronics, will be providing innovative graphics and animation as part of the contract. Daktronics currently has equipment installed at 26 of 31 NFL venues. Recent projects include super systems designed and manufactured for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals.

About Lucas Oil Stadium

Lucas Oil Stadium will be a three-deck, seven-level, multi-use building with a retractable roof that will seat 63,000 for football and 70,000 or more for NCAA basketball, concerts and other special events. The stadium is being built on a downtown site bounded on the north by South Street, on the east by Capitol Avenue, on the south by McCarty Street, and on the west by Missouri Street. The stadium is scheduled to open for the Colts 2008 season. It will replace the RCA Dome, which has been home to the Indianapolis Colts since 1984.

About Daktronics

Daktronics is recognized as the world's leading provider of full-color LED video displays. Daktronics began manufacturing large screen, full-color, LED video displays in 1997. Since then, over 3,900 video-capable displays have been sold and installed in sports, entertainment and commercial facilities around the world. Since 2001, independent market research conducted by iSuppli Corp. lists Daktronics as the world's leading provider of large screen LED video displays.

Daktronics has strong leadership positions in, and is the world's leading supplier of, large screen video displays, electronic scoreboards, computer-programmable displays, digital billboards, and control systems. The company excels in the control of large display systems, including those that require integration of multiple complex displays showing real-time information, graphics, animation and video. Daktronics designs, manufactures, markets and services display systems for customers around the world, in sport, commercial and transportation applications. For more information, visit the company's World Wide Web site at: http://www.daktronics.com, e-mail the company at sales@daktronics.com, call (605) 697-4300 or toll-free (800) 325-8766 in the United States or write to the company at 331 32nd Ave. PO Box 5128 Brookings, S.D. 57006-5128

Will we see any hockey games played here? ;)

Will we see any hockey games played here? ;)

lol, not likely. Hockey isn't even on the radar in Indiana.

What exactly will be done with RCA? Dismantled?

What exactly will be done with RCA? Dismantled?

I believe so. Once dismantled, the stadium site will be annex by the Indianapolis convention center.

I like the Lucas oil stadium.. old school looking facade.. really cool, reminds me of an old train station, this will have a retractable roof correct?

I hate seeing all these stadiums dismantled (albeit I love the new design too!). Cant we just find alternative uses for the existing stadia? (alright LOL....a bit illogical)

I hate seeing all these stadiums dismantled (albeit I love the new design too!). Cant we just find alternative uses for the existing stadia? (alright LOL....a bit illogical)

It's just part of it.... Sometimes I hate it myself.

I like the Lucas oil stadium.. old school looking facade.. really cool, reminds me of an old train station, this will have a retractable roof correct?

correct

i like the design for the area its in...yeah Indiana is known for having those "fieldhouses" but if you gonna build a new stadium, especially for football in a major metro area like that why build for only 63k...think they should have set there goal a little higher to say 70k even or at least 67k...but it is what it is now.

I can't seem to put the pics up. Let try again.

They are not my pics, but I thought you guys should see what the future of what a stadium is. I'm not talking about the design, but how the fan will experence the game, and how they will see it. Great skyline view thou..

http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/showthread.php?t=36125

Wow, looks great. Even better than the renderings.

INDIANAPOLIS — To the surprise of almost everyone who follows the N.F.L., the San Diego Chargers will meet the New England Patriots next Sunday for the American Football Conference championship and the right to play in Super Bowl XLII.

The Chargers earned the right with a 28-24 upset of the Indianapolis Colts, the reigning champions, Sunday afternoon at the RCA Dome. But the Chargers may have to play the undefeated Patriots without their two key offensive players, quarterback Philip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Both stars left the game in the second half with knee injuries. But the Chargers’ defense prevailed over quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts, who hurt themselves with three turnovers, two of them on interceptions.

Despite all the mistakes, the Colts had a chance to take the lead in the final three minutes when they had first-and-goal on the Chargers’ 9-yard line. In four plays, three of them incomplete passes, they gained two yards.

After a punt by the Chargers, the Colts got the ball back with 1 minute 30 seconds left at their own 32, but the Colts could advance the ball only to the Indianapolis 37-yard line.

Marvin Harrison, the Colts’ top receiver, returned to the lineup after missing 10 games. But he was not effective and did not appear on the final Indianapolis drive.

The lead kept changing hands in the second half and the Chargers went ahead, 28-24, with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Billy Volek, who replaced Rivers. It was the third time they had taken the lead in the half.

Rivers left the game after three quarters with a knee injury that occurred while he threw his third touchdown pass. Tomlinson, the NFL’s leading rusher for the second consecutive season, also left the game with a knee injury and was replaced by Michael Turner

Manning completed 33 of 48 passes for 402 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Rivers finished 14 of 19 for 264 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

This was the final game in the RCA Dome, which was built in 1984 and helped lure the Colts from Baltimore that year. Next Sunday’s A.F.C. championship game will be played in Foxborough, Mass., against the undefeated New England Patriots.

The Colts will move next season to a new stadium down the street with a retractable roof and more seats. The current stadium will be torn down for an expansion of the downtown convention center.

The whole article is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/sports/football/14colts.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Great stadium...except for the obstruction seats.

obstruction seats?

who builds a stadium now with obstructed seats?

who builds a stadium now with obstructed seats?

The Colts, apparently. Look at the pics.

http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/gnome/108_0836_1.JPG

http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/gnome/108_0851_1.JPG

I can't wait for it to open.
The structure is of such timeless design it will last years to come. I'm not sad to the RCA dome go, it blocks much of the historic wholesale district skyline from the west. Once it is gone you will be able to see the historic St.John's Cathedral much easier.

If they aren't obstructed from the field, then they aren't obstructed. IF they are, you will hear that right away.

If they aren't obstructed from the field, then they aren't obstructed. IF they are, you will hear that right away.

I just posted the pics showing the obstructed seats, did they not show up? Thr first pic was taken from the vicinity of the far end zone, and the seats right in the middle of the pic are clearly obstructed. Do you need me to photoshop arrows in the pic to show you? Or blow them up?

Yeah the back five rows or so in the corners of the second level. If those are the only locations thats like a couple hundred bad seats out of 63,000, but its really odd to see that in a new stadium especially in the U.S.

Next to the Cowboys New Stadium, this one will be my Number 2 Favorite.

I think there is an assumption that seats will actually sit next to that steelwork. They may not. I would wait until seats are in that section. If there are, this will be well known.

These pics from the other endzone actually show what I was thinking. Seats do not go all the way to the steel work.

http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/gnome/108_0845_1.JPG
http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/gnome/108_0870_1.JPG

notice the angled concrete in this shot. This is what I suspected
http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/gnome/108_0867_1.JPG

not obstructed.


As for this

http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/gnome/108_0836_1.JPG

yes, some obstructed seats. Hopefully they are cheap. But, and we should say but, we don't know how the view of the field is from that angle.

doesn't look like there close to the steel to me.

Just look in the either picture, there are already seats back there with an isle that wraps around them, it sure looks like there will be a few seats with a clipped line of sight.

So the old stadium, at 60 thousand capacity, was too small. Consequently they're building a new stadium with seating for... 63 thousand.

Oh, well. Like the saying goes:

"Many bright young people have come out of Indiana. And they came out of Indiana as fast as they could!"

Just look in the either picture, there are already seats back there with an isle that wraps around them, it sure looks like there will be a few seats with a clipped line of sight.

I dont see any clipped views at all

So the old stadium, at 60 thousand capacity, was too small. Consequently they're building a new stadium with seating for... 63 thousand.

Oh, well. Like the saying goes:

"Many bright young people have come out of Indiana. And they came out of Indiana as fast as they could!"

RCA is just old and its one of the old inflatable domes.

I just posted the pics showing the obstructed seats, did they not show up? Thr first pic was taken from the vicinity of the far end zone, and the seats right in the middle of the pic are clearly obstructed. Do you need me to photoshop arrows in the pic to show you? Or blow them up?
there are no seats behind the columns

RCA is just old and its one of the old inflatable domes.

That's not the point, Bubba. If you're building a new stadium cause the old one is -among other things- too small, you try to do a little bit more than just add 3 thou extra seats, don't you think?

Are you from Indiana by any chance?

So the old stadium, at 60 thousand capacity, was too small. Consequently they're building a new stadium with seating for... 63 thousand.

Oh, well. Like the saying goes:

"Many bright young people have come out of Indiana. And they came out of Indiana as fast as they could!"
I think they needed a little more than what they had to get a super bowl. Also, this stadium will probably have more suites and amenities

That's not the point, Bubba. If you're building a new stadium cause the old one is -among other things- too small, you try to do a little bit more than just add 3 thou extra seats, don't you think?

Are you from Indiana by any chance?

Mr Met answered your question. Its about the Suites also. 3 thou is alot of seats to add and maybe, just maybe there wasn't enough room to build a 100,000 seat stadium like for the cowboys because as you ad the seats up then you have to push the walls back further and further and further. Getting a new facility with modern sound, modern visuals, better suites, and a stadium with a low energy use because they wont have to keep pumping air through a bubble tarp to keep the roof up. They needed something new, Modern and better then the RCA Dome and that is what they are getting.

What makes you think im from indiana?

First off, the RCA Dome holds 57,000 for football, so LOS will have 6,000 more seats. Seating can be expanded to 70,000 for a SB and college basketball.

That's not the point, Bubba. If you're building a new stadium cause the old one is -among other things- too small, you try to do a little bit more than just add 3 thou extra seats, don't you think?

Are you from Indiana by any chance?

The point is they didnt want a ginormous billion dollar stadium that seats 90,000. They wanted to expand, but not overexpand where they would lose ticket scarcity. They wanted something completely modernized. And last but not least, they wanted something that needs to be more basketball friendly than any other NFL venue. Every step in the design process had to have basketball considerations.

Why dont people understand that?

Indy is also a smaller metro compared to Dallas-Fort Worth that is approaching 7 million rapidly. Can't just toss around 90,000 seat stadiums. This isn't college where you have huge alumni bases.

this is a great step for Indianapolis

That's not the point, Bubba. If you're building a new stadium cause the old one is -among other things- too small, you try to do a little bit more than just add 3 thou extra seats, don't you think?

Are you from Indiana by any chance?

The point is, is that the RCA Dome is in the way of expanding the connecting Convention Center. Even thou the Dome is still in good shape. It's still almost 25 yrs old. Through the years Indianapolis as lost alot of its orginal convention because they were just getting to big for the space we have. About 4-5 years ago this plan came into affect. With Irsay, the city of Indy, the CC Committee and the NCAA coming together to come up with this plan. The new stadium will have 63,000 seat. (6,000 more seat than the Dome at 57,000) This will have more suites. (140 to 104 in the Dome) It will also be able to expand up to 73,400 plus more seats for a SB or NCAA final four. (73,400 or more came up on our last bid for a SB.) If you want to know were we will put an extra 10,000 plus seats. It will be on the North end zone in front of the retractable window and spead out around the stadium. Also, if we want to be like Dallas, then we probable could add a couple more thousand of standing room only. Back to your point, with this new stadium and CC we will have more than 1.2 million sq ft to bring back those lost conventions. There is already (alone) 80+ convention booked for the stadium itself in the first year of opening. Plus, the city is building a anchor hotel across the street. These 4 new hotels will have 1600 rooms, 155,000 sq ft of convention and meeting rooms and be connected to the CC. Grand opening of each. LOS in 2008, CC in 2010, Hotel 2011. Right now the state brings in $3.25 Billion dollars in in convention and tourism. Just think what we will start to bring in by 2012. There is a whole lot more to all this. But this is just off the top of my head. Hopefully you get the point on why we are building a new stadium.

Right Aavmarine. Indy has a strong history of building smart, multi-purpose, very useful facilities. I think this building will fit in very well to its corner of downtown. Connected to the convention center - it will help provide a total of 750,000 sq. feet of primary exhibition space in a facility with a total of approx. 1.2 million sq. feet of floor space. This brings the convention space into the top 15 rankings of convention space in the country.

It will be right next to the wholesale district - the older part of downtown with lots of old brick warehouses filled with bars, restaurants, stores, etc. That's the other reason for the style of this stadium. Along with being built in the style of the old historic brick college football stadiums and/or old brick basketball fieldhouses typical in this part of the country - the red brick fits in perfectly with the many old red brick warehouses and other brick structures like Union Station in the southern part of downtown.)

Along with the new mega hotel complex with its 1,600 rooms - at least another 600 - 700 hotel rooms are under construction or planned - bringing another 2,300 or so hotel rooms to the existing 5,000 that are currently in existence within about four blocks of the convention center. In other words - this isn't just a 63,000 seat football stadium. It is part of a huge convention center complex in the middle of about 7,500 hotel rooms, about a million square feet of downtown retail, including Nordstrom and Carson Pirie Scott a few blocks away, and with plans to develop much more residential, commercial and other uses in the areas to the east and west of this new stadium. The stadium will be used for much more than ten football games each year. It will frequently (at least every five years) host the NCAA basketball final four as well as NCAA basketball regionals and first and second round competion. It has landed the Drum Corps International championships for the next ten years, (This will likely bring 40,00 - 50,000 or more fans to the city every year) the national high school marching band championships (25,000 out of town fans every year), numerous large conventions (in the 20,000 to 45,000 person range, Women's Final Four basketball championships (40,000 fans), The Circle City Classic football game (60,000 fans), State high school football championships, etc, etc. You can see this will get used quite a bit and will be bringing hundreds of thousands of people into the city and downtown every year that wouldn't otherwise be in the city. These events are actually much better than home NFL football games - because - while those do fill up the restaurants and bars with local fans and a few out of town visitors, mostly NFL games don't have as huge of an impact on downtown hotels because it is mostly local people who go to the home games. These many other events will fill up the hotels throughout the city and will have a huge economic impact. If we get the Super Bowl - it will be all the better. Anyway - that is why this new stadium makes a lot of sense for Indianapolis!

I dont see any clipped views at all


there are no seats behind the columns

Jesus Christ, someone had to do it....

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1453/afdasbo3.png (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks, but apperently some people here are blind, so lets hope this will shut up all the stupid

Jesus Christ, someone had to do it....

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1453/afdasbo3.png (http://imageshack.us)

The seats sit beside the pillar, not behind it. Ive been at ball parks with views like that and was still able to see everything.

I said that there were no seats DIRECTLY behind the pillars, I am not an idiot and I can see that there are seats behind there.

Your exact words were "there are no seats behind the columns", which there are, even if they pulled the ones strait behind the columns. but there are a few people who fail to see that there are infact seats installed back there and that they will not have a clear view of the whole field (especially where the arrows are pointing) .

Benn...it will be fine

Your exact words were "there are no seats behind the columns", which there are, even if they pulled the ones strait behind the columns. but there are a few people who fail to see that there are infact seats installed back there and that they will not have a clear view of the whole field (especially where the arrows are pointing) .

Until such times as the stadium is actually open and someone sits in those seats, there is no way to actually prove the seats are obstructed. This is in a corner obviously so I would be willing to bet the WHOLE field is viewable!

Until such times as the stadium is actually open and someone sits in those seats, there is no way to actually prove the seats are obstructed. This is in a corner obviously so I would be willing to bet the WHOLE field is viewable!

No you just have to use common sense. This photo appears to be taken from around the endzone, however from this photo you cannot see some seats behind the columns therefore its pretty obvious that these seats will not be able to see where the photo was taken from

dude, i have friends who work at HKS, when it comes to stadiums, they take the extra time to make sure there are no un-obstructed views......Yes, Danny Forester said the same thing on Build it Bigger at the Nationals new Stadium.

This is the most recent article on the stadium with some pics to go along with it:

Nearly $1 million worth of construction is taking place every day inside the walls of Lucas Oil Stadium as workers strive to have the facility completed by August.




GETTING THERE: Construction of Lucas Oil Stadium is said to be on schedule for the Colts' 2008 season, despite winter cold and snow. A lot of what's left to do involves suites, concession areas, restrooms and concourses. - CHARLIE NYE / The Star

Almost 1,000 workers are on site every day, and much of the remaining work involves finishing stadium suites, concession areas, restrooms and concourses. Cold weather and snow of late have thrown some kinks into the construction work, but overall, the $695 million-plus project is on schedule, officials said Tuesday.
"It'd be nice to have warmer weather, and we've lost a day here or there, but we're still on track," said Bob May, contract manager for Hunt Construction Group, which is managing the project.
"We know we're going to lose some time this time of year, so every day we can work is a blessing."
On Tuesday, workers were busy riding troweling machines to smooth the concrete surface that will lie under the artificial turf for Colts games and serve as the floor for convention events. About 20 percent of the concrete on the playing surface has been laid, with the remainder to be completed by March.
"We have to get that right because it has to be level underneath the turf, but also for convention events that will be held on the floor," May said. "There also will be retractable seats along the sidelines that have to roll on the concrete, so it has to be smooth or they won't work correctly."
In addition, workers just completed installing all of the steel for the retractable roof panel on the west side of the stadium. Work on the east panel will begin this week, May said. He said workers plan to move the roof panels for the first time in March.
Meanwhile, the first of six panels for the retractable window on the north side of the stadium was completed recently, with work to begin soon on the second panel.
Workers are continuing to install the stadium's blue seats. To date, 14,350 of the nearly 63,000 permanent seats are in place.
"We've got a lot of good contractors, good people working out here, and everyone is doing a good job," May said. "Everything, in general, is going according to plan.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride1.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride2.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride3.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride4.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride5.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride6.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride7.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride8.jpg


Also, about the views from the seats. Those seats might be in front of a cheaper suite. Or the stadium might not even release them to the public because they are behind the pillars and view is not good. Or if they do sell them to the public, I'm sure they are probable the cheapest in the stadium and come with a "obstructive view message" on the ticket. But from this rendering, they really don't look like they will have a bad view:

http://www.in.gov/iscba/images/LOS_(17).jpg

The LOS could also help to revive the southern part of downtown which has many victorian structures begging for restoration. That area is also home to parking lots and hopefully they get filled up.

What I really would like to see is another hotel, but with a huge indoor water park that would have huge windows that would overlook the new stadium. Maybe like the Holliday Inn up by the paramids, but with more windows. Its to bad that the new hotel that is already going in on the westside didn't do that.

As Dallasbrink already said the seats aren't behind the pillars

ya, jeez people!

As Dallasbrink already said the seats aren't behind the pillars

and I will also add that THERE ARE NO OBSTRUCTED VIEWS in the Luke. Come on people. Do you really think that the City would be building a $billion facility with some seats "obstructed."

Further, and as mentioned, this stadium will accomplish much more than just football games. This will be the LARGEST BASKETBALL facility in the world, seating over 80,000 (I think). Indy is home to the NCAA and they have committed to a men's and women's Final Four at the Luke at least every 4 years.

As Dallasbrink already said the seats aren't behind the pillars

behind, next to, what bloody difference does it make if the cloumns block your sight? :dunno:

word

lol thats true :D
Maybe you can't see the end zone

O no, we wouldn't want the Pats fan to miss the endzone

Yeah, nobody talks about the Metrodome having obstructed view seats, but there are about 1,300 in the last five rows with partial views, and you certainly don't need to be directly behind a column to have your view obstructed there, or in the last few in the corners here.

What will be th first event held in LOS?

and I will also add that THERE ARE NO OBSTRUCTED VIEWS in the Luke. Come on people. Do you really think that the City would be building a $billion facility with some seats "obstructed."

Further, and as mentioned, this stadium will accomplish much more than just football games. This will be the LARGEST BASKETBALL facility in the world, seating over 80,000 (I think). Indy is home to the NCAA and they have committed to a men's and women's Final Four at the Luke at least every 4 years.

Most dumb asses here get an idea in their heads and can't seem to let it go. Wait for the bloody thing to open! If and when someone finds a seat that has an obstructed view then bitch otherwise shut the f u c k up till then.

In other words I agree with you 100%!

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/ride.jpg


looks like star wars is helping a hand

Nice picture from today's Indianapolis Star showing the skyline view from inside the stadium:

http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20080220&Kategori=LOCAL18&Lopenr=802200508&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=500&MaxH=400&Site=BG&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0

sweet^^

The RCA Dome should be ceremoniously deflated using the world's largest sewing needle. :cheers:

With Dallas out of the picture, the odds of Indianapolis landing the 2012 Super Bowl are significantly better.

IS INDY READY FOR THE BIG GAME?

THE PROS

• New publicly financed stadium with retractable roof and up to 70,000 seats.

• Compact Downtown, allowing fans to walk to events.

• Experience in hosting big events, such as the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

THE CONS

• Cold-weather city with average February temperatures at least 24 degrees below those of rivals.

• Never hosted a Super Bowl.

• Small-market city with limited hotel capacity.

NEXT STEPS

• April 1: The city's preliminary bid for 2012 game is due.

• May: NFL owners make a decision at meeting in Atlanta.

• September: Lucas Oil Stadium hosts first regular-season game.

• 2010: Expanded Indiana Convention Center scheduled for opening.

• 2011: 1,000-room JW Marriott Hotel scheduled to open near stadium.

• 2012: The NFL's 46th Super Bowl in February.


HAVE AN IDEA?
Go to www.our2012sb.com to submit ideas on how to make the Super Bowl a true community event.

That, at least, is how Colts owner Jim Irsay saw it Tuesday as he joined Mayor Greg Ballard to formally announce the city would try once more to win over NFL team owners and land hosting duties for the 46th Super Bowl.
Owners last year gave the 2011 game to Dallas, in part because that city's $1 billion stadium will be the biggest in the NFL when it opens next year.
Irsay, who again pledged $1 million toward the bid, said several owners told him last year that the city's two-vote loss was due simply to Dallas' larger stadium, which could draw $23 million more in ticket sales.
Neither of the potential competitors this year, Houston and Glendale, Ariz., would be able to overwhelm Lucas Oil Stadium, which can expand from 63,000 seats to about 70,000 for the big game.
What Indy has to offer

Mark Miles, who is leading the effort to solicit $25 million in corporate donations for the event, said Indianapolis can win this time for many of the same reasons organizers cited in 2007:
• Its compact Downtown, with facilities connected by indoor walkways.
• Experience in handling big events, such as the Indianapolis 500.
• A strong NFL franchise in the Colts.
• The community spirit needed to pull together for big events.
But your help is needed

City leaders want your input on how to make the Super Bowl a true community event.
"We want to step back and get ideas from people in this community about how to hold a 50,000-person party and how to build a Super Bowl village Downtown," Miles said.
That "village" will be a place for fans to go when they're not at the game. Last year, the Indy bid committee signed contracts with nearly 100 venues, many Downtown, that said they could host parties and other events.
The 2012 bid will build on the 2011 submission, with enhancements to be added.
Preliminary bid documents will be submitted to the NFL by April 1; the final bid is due May 9.
Indianapolis representatives will then travel to the league meeting in Atlanta to make the city's presentation to the NFL team owners. A final decision is expected by May 21.

I did not take these. These pics came with the article.
New seats with Colts emblem on each row. There will be 63,000 seats.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB.jpg
View from the upper seats of the South endzone looking towards to the Norh retractable windows and view of downtown Indy.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB1.jpg
Finishing up the air ducts.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB2.jpg
Looking towrds to the South endzone. One of the four mammoth roof columns.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB3.jpg
This is on the party deck (upper North endzone). Looking at the track system for the retractable windows.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB4.jpg
Party deck looking towards the South seats.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB5.jpg
1/3 of the fields concrete slab is done.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB6.jpg
My favorite pic. Looking North from the massive Quarterbacks suite. What an awesome view.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/FEB7.jpg

Great views!
congrats indianapolis!

the only thing that could get in the way of the Indy 2012 bid is the New Orleans Super Dome.

Lookin really great. I cant wait to see the NCAA tournament played there in 2009. (midwest regionals)

For all you that are interested, and to the ones that aren't. The company that is designing and building the roof is called "Uni-systems". I thought this site was interesting which talks about building the most sophisticated and one-of-a-kind roof in the world. It will be the only stadium in the world where the roof will meet at a peak and slide open toward the sidelines. There is also a 20 sec video on how the roof will open and close and how it will be the most leak proof stadium in the world. The play button will re-appear after the video is over in the bottom right corner:

http://www.uni-systems.com/Projects/FeaturedProjectDetails.aspx?ProjectID=11&PN=Lucas%20Oil%20Stadium

Here is another link about everything you wanted to know about our new stadium:

http://lucasoilstadium.9f.com/

I am more interested in the implosion of the old stadium. It looks like the roof is going to be deflated and the two ends blasted.

Progress, Punctuality Highlight Stadium Construction
Lucas Oil Stadium Will Be Done On Time, Builders Say

POSTED: 6:49 am EDT March 19, 2008
UPDATED: 6:55 am EDT March 19, 2008


INDIANAPOLIS -- Lucas Oil Stadium will be done on time, builders said Tuesday.

Construction continues at a feverish pace. Builders said the building is already 80 to 85 percent complete, 6News' Renee Jameson reported.

"(We're) doing handrails, carpet, tile and kitchen equipment," said Bob May, Hunt Construction contract manager. "I could go on and on with all the things that are going on."

About 22,000 seats are already installed. Plenty of concrete work is ongoing, as well as work on the playing field and glass wall.

Builders said the initial move of the retractable roof is set to happen by next month.

Bill Benner, of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, toured the stadium on Tuesday.

Along with a dramatic future expansion of the convention center, the city will also be able to use stadium space to attract business.

"Of course, it will be connected to the existing convention center via a walkway," Benner said. "There's a buzz about Indianapolis and what's going on here."

City officials hope that buzz translates to a 2012 Super Bowl bid win. Soon after Indianapolis announced it will try again to attract the NFL championship game, Hoosiers began giving their opinions on the bid committee's Web site.

There's been plenty of talk so far about a proposed downtown Super Bowl village.

"We're going to create a space that will be a big section of the downtown area. You won't be able to miss it," said Mark Miles, of the Super Bowl bid committee. "It will be organized and decorated in a way that will be spectacular."

Indianapolis narrowly lost winning the 2011 Super Bowl bid, so there's plenty of reason for optimism this time around.

"The fact that we came as close as we did last year indicates that's the case. We just have to get a couple more votes," Miles said.

The stadium is set to be completed in mid-August.

Here is the video link to this article:

http://www.theindychannel.com/video/15638868/index.html

why is there a lack of photo updates on this beauty?

The greatest stadium in Indiana!


I love stadia to be in the middle of cities, right at the heart of it.
That massive window has been specially designed just so the fans can look over the skyline between plays.

Here are some recent photos of the inside of the "Luke".

View from lower bowl seating
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61286.jpg

Workers covering the lower level seats from construction debree
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61285.jpg

Worker walks across fresh concrete
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61284.jpg

Workers installing the first of two 97' long x 53' HDTV jumbo scoreboards
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61283.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61282.jpg

Looking towards the retractable windows
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61281.jpg

Party deck horseshoe being installed
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61280.jpg

Upper level seats on the South end. Notice how steep it will be
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61279.jpg

Closer view of the opening. The opening will be a little bigger than 3 football fields
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61278.jpg

Closer view of the retractable windows track system
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61277.jpg

A view from one of the highest seating points on the South end
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61276.jpg

One of the completed suites
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61275.jpg

Horseshoe carpet in the suites
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n260/ccvwalker/61273.jpg

nice update, is the retractable roof installed? Will this be done in time for the Pre Season?

I can't wait until the gates open for the first NFL game :) :)

nice update, is the retractable roof installed? Will this be done in time for the Pre Season?

Yes, the retractable roof is installed. Starting this coming up Monday, the west side retractable roof will start to move. About 1-2 feet a day until it is completly closed. Once closed, the east side will go through the same process. Here is a link:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804160438