Cardinals stadium ready for $100M in renovations
Cardinals renovating to prepare to host Super Bowl in 2023
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale is working on major upgrades to get ready to host the Super Bowl. By 2023, “$100 million will have been put in,” Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said.
The news this spring that the Super Bowl is coming back to Glendale in 2023 came with another big announcement.
By the time the big game arrives, University of Phoenix Stadium will have seen major upgrades.
By Super Bowl LVII, “$100 million dollars will have been put in,” Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said at the time of the Super Bowl announcement.
As summer training camp kicks off this week, much has already been done.
The Arizona Cardinals, city of Glendale and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority are pouring money into the 14-year-old stadium and the surrounding area to try to make the fan experience more enjoyable before, during and after the game.
So what does $100 million or so get you in football stadium terms? Here’s a look:
$28M: Club area renovations with female fans in mind
Before last season, the Cardinals completed the first phase of a twophase overhaul to its club areas on the east and west sides of the stadium.
The team will have the second phase complete by the time this season starts.
The first phase included the creation of the Flight Lounge, which serves wine, and Bubble Lounge, with serves champagne and wine. It also included more than doubling the amount of taps for draft alcohol at the bar areas, from six to 16 taps.
“America’s tastes have changed,” Bidwill said, adding that no longer are people just looking to drink big-name beer brands at games.
During the second phase, the Cardinals added new bars and food service areas, redid the flooring and lighting, brought in TVs and a new sound system, and got new furniture. The Bird’s Nest lounge area also has a new bar and buffet, and a new environment.
The team is doing all of the renova-
tions with female fans in mind, since women make up a large portion of the NFL audience, Bidwill said.
Fans will also find nursing rooms for women in the stadium, he said, so they can have privacy while they’re there.
Bonus: The bathrooms were redone, too.
$28M: Parking lot, pedestrian tunnel and bridge, security
Game-goers will have more parking options closer to the stadium this year.
By the time the season opens, the city of Glendale will have finished a new parking lot on the south side of Bethany Home Road across from the stadium.
The “black lot,” between 95th and 91st avenues, will have 4,015 spaces.
Fans can say goodbye to the off-site parking lot that shuttled people to games.
That parking lot, at Orangewood and 89th avenues, has been shut down. The move will save the city about $250,000 a season for the shuttle and $27,000 for traffic control and lighting.
This also fulfills a promise the city made more than a decade ago to add parking near the stadium, Bidwill said.
Those who park in the new lot won’t have to cross Bethany Home Road.
As part of its project this spring and summer, the city is completing a pedestrian tunnel connecting the new parking lot to the other side of Bethany Home Road.
Those taking that path will also travel over a new pedestrian bridge that crosses the canal before reaching a new path to the stadium.
“Fan flow was really important,” Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps said.
The Cardinals also added permanent shaded structures for security checkpoints.
Cardinals estimated $28 million for overall costs between the team and the city for parking, pedestrian improvements, tailgating areas and security. Of that, the city estimates it will spend $8.1 million on the parking lot and $3.4 million on the pedestrian upgrades, although it doesn’t have final figures yet.
$6.7M: Maintaining quality in stadium
The Cardinals spend about this much every year on maintenance and smaller improvement projects.
This includes upgrades to stadium production systems and technology, existing parking lot improvements, improvements and adds to concessions and replacing other stuff like sod and televisions.
$2.4M: Field tray upgrade
The grass field the Cardinals play on is actually set on a huge tray that can roll in and out of the stadium, to allow for special events and to allow the grass to get proper sun.
While not the most intriguing update to the stadium, the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority paid for a complete upgrade of that tray during the off-season.
The original waterproofing and drainage systems of the field tray were replaced, along with the sod and rootzone mix. The new system comes equipped with leak-detection technology.
$1M: Fun fan area
With the new parking across Bethany Home Road, some fans will take a different path to the stadium. The path will take them near a grassy field near the retractable field tray just south of the stadium.
The Cardinals invested $1 million to create a more permanent space for fans to hang out in that area, Bidwill said.
It will have a food truck and activities for fans, expanding the pre-gaming opportunities, Bidwill said.
“We are going to see what the fans would like there,” he said, “and I’m certain by the end of the season we will get ideas.”
$35M: Future stadium upgrades
Bidwill didn’t want to share too much about this just yet.
He said the team is committed to spending this much more between now and Super Bowl LVII on making sure the stadium is up-to-date.
That might mean upgrading cellular service once 5G comes along, maybe a new scoreboard, other major technology upgrades and other renovations.
“We want to make sure the building constantly feels fresh,” he said.
It all goes back to the fan experience, he said.
“This is what the game is about,” he said. “It’s about the fans.”
Priceless: ‘Cardinals Way’
There’s one thing that won’t cost the city, the stadium authority or the Cardinals much, but will boost the Cardinals name around the Valley.
The Glendale City Council voted in June to rename Bethany Home Road between 91st to 99th avenues “Cardinals Way.” That means drivers on Loop 101 will see exit signs for Cardinals Way instead of Bethany Home Road.
The city also will update the street signs in the area, Phelps said.
“I don’t think there is a bigger brand than the Cardinals,” he said. “This is a great way to remind people of our dedication to the team.”
A $70,000 grant from the Maricopa Association of Governments will cover the freeway signs, and the city will pay for the street signs.
Cardinals estimated $28 million for overall costs between the team and the city for parking, pedestrian improvements, tailgating areas and security.