Next season Dodger Stadium will be the 3rd oldest stadium in Major League Baseball. The only older stadiums are legendary venues: Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. So to breathe some new life into the the almost 50 year old stadium, there is a plan to spend $500 million renovating the stadium.
The renovation project would call for a multi-use facility to be built in the parking lot outside the stadium. It would include a large park lined with trees, restaurants, retail shops and a Los Angeles Dodgers museum. Plus, there would be two parking garages built to support the lose of surface parking spots. The proposed plan from the Dodgers ownership group has the support of the Mayor and City Council. So it expected that approval of this renovation plan is merely a formality. The City of Los Angeles supports the project because the additions will bring revenue to the Dodger Stadium area on a year-round basis. Also, the additional of the park plaza with trees should help the ecological balance with the surrounding neighborhoods.
The news of improvements to Dodger Stadium comes on the heels of a plan that was recently proposed to renovate the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the USC Trojans play their home games. It’s nice to see the City of Los Angeles find unique ways to upgrade existing venues, rather than just demand that new venues be built to replace older one’s. Because it is these ‘old venues’ that bring character to sporting events.
Places like Yankee Stadium (the old one), the Cotton Bowl and Lambeau Field might not have all of the amentities of modern stadiums. But those places have one thing the new stadiums may never obtain, a rich history from generations of fans attending games there. That’s something that can never be replaced in sports. I’ll never forget my first trip to Wrigley, Soldier Field or Fenway. The mystique in those venues is what makes them special.
