Construction of Banc of California Stadium underway

Although plenty of construction work remains, the shell of the Banc of California Stadium has now been constructed and its developer, the Los Angeles Football Club, is optimistic that the $274 million open air stadium will be opened just in time for the 2018 spring season start.

The soccer-specific stadium, designed by Gensler, has a total of 22,000 seats. It also includes 100,000 sq. ft. of shops, restaurants, conference space, a soccer museum and a public plaza. The amenities will be open all year-round and are expected to generate 3,000 jobs for south Los Angeles. It is also predicted to attract $350 million worth of private investments.

The Banc of California Stadium is being developed on Exposition Park, specifically where the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena once stood. The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will also be constructed in the same area.

“For years, developers have ignored South LA,” says councilman Curren Price during the stadium’s groundbreaking ceremony last Aug. 23. “Exposition Park is where history is made. Today we begin a new chapter.”

Planning for the new stadium construction started in late 2014. LAFC president and owner Tom Penn has previously described the project as a “cool challenge” and “has been very rewarding.” He tells the Los Angeles Daily News that his organization is excited about 2018 even though there is still a lot of work left to do.

Gensler’s design features ascending seating with overhanging shade structures. According to the firm’s principal architect Jonathan Emmett, the incline of the seats keep the fans close to the field while the shade structures helps trap crowd noise, making the stadium loud during games.