First Pitch
Development firm Canal Edge released renderings for the proposed Chicago White Sox stadium in a proposed development known as “The Railyards.” The drawings reveal a mixed-use space concept that includes retail and potential healthcare offerings by Northwestern Medicine along the city’s riverfront.
Residents in Caddo Parish, La., got a preview of plans for a proposed $70 million sports complex. The parish seeks to fund the project with a $60 million bond. If approved, the complex would house several indoor sports, including track and field, basketball, wrestling and pickleball. Plans also include space for outdoor sports.
The Washington Commanders and architectural firm HKS released the first renderings of the seating bowl in the team’s new stadium. Inspired by RFK Stadium, the renderings reveal a focus on recreating the loud, intense and intimate atmosphere that defined the franchise’s championship era through a continuous, unified bowl. The new stadium will pay tribute to the history of the team while leveraging the latest technology and innovation to deliver unmatched live event experiences across all seating levels.
Breaking Ground
The University of Memphis broke ground Sept. 21 on Liza Wellford Fletcher Stadium, marking the start of construction on the first purpose-built home for the university’s women’s and men’s soccer and track and field programs. The project is funded through the Liza’s Light University of Memphis Soccer and Track Stadium Fund, established by the family and friends of former Tigers soccer player Liza Wellford Fletcher, who died in 2022 at age 34. In the two years since the project was announced, donors have contributed more than $8.3 million, surpassing the original fundraising goal and allowing construction to begin.
Iowa State University officials broke ground on the $200 million CyTown development, which sits directly between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum in Ames and will encompass more than 400,000 square feet of building space that will serve the three million visitors who annually attend events on-site or utilize the parking lots in the area. Upon completion, the development will include retail, food and beverage, entertainment, medical, hospitality, office and residential spaces.
Grand Openings
West Point has opened the newly rebuilt East Stands and other additions at Michie Stadium that are part of the $170 million, privately funded Michie Stadium Preservation Project. The overhaul includes 8,000 new seats in the East Stands, ranging from seating for the Corps of Cadets to new premium club areas.
The University of Wisconsin has cut the ribbon on the school’s new $285 million indoor football practice facility. The Kellner Family Athletic Center sits next to Camp Randall Stadium and houses a 120-yard synthetic turf field and 300-meter training track, among other amenities. The project includes nearly 600,000 square feet of renovated or new space.
