Crews at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., are putting the finishing touches on a massive $250 million makeover of the stadium's north end, including a 60-by-370-foot video board.
As reported by the Boston Globe, New England Patriots officials on Tuesday provided media members with a sneak peak of the project, which will fully enclose the last open part of the stadium. Added will be an abundance of new food and beverage options, the massive video scoreboard, plus a new 22-story lighthouse with an observation deck offering views of both Boston and Providence.
Before the first regular season tailgates on Sept. 10, the finishing touches will be complete on a massive $250 million make-over of Gillette Stadium’s north end. https://t.co/PdwirYqbFa
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) July 12, 2023
“We’ll open on Sept. 10 for the Patriots’ home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. We have 60 days to go, we have plenty of work to do, but we’re on schedule, and we’re very excited about that,” said Jim Nolan, chief operating officer of the Kraft Group. “The project really is building a new building in the north end zone. It’s from the field level to the 300 level, it tops out at over 220 feet, which is higher than our light towers."
The new video board, which appeared to be undergoing a successful color test during the media tour, is billed as the “largest outdoor stadium video board in the country,” Michael Silverman of the Globe reported. "At 22,000 square feet, it’s slightly larger than half an acre," Silverman wrote. "It’s also curved, allowing it to follow the contours of the stadium, and more than five times the size of the old board."
Among other amenities included in the renovation:
- The new lighthouse, designed as a year-round tourist attraction. “As we reimagined what we wanted to do with our north end zone renovation, one of the things was to reimagine the [old, 135-foot] lighthouse, and we have done that,” said Jen Ferron, chief marketing officer of Kraft Group, as reported by the Globe. “It’s 218 feet tall, or 22 stories, with a 360-degree observation deck that will allow fans on a year-round basis to come up and have incredible sightlines and views of not only Foxborough center but two of New England’s largest cities, Boston and Providence — which is something we know fans from New England and the rest of the country will enjoy as an experiential additive event here at Gillette Stadium.”
- A new grassy plaza and grand staircase outside of the north end, that will ease stadium entry. "When fans walk in, they’ll go through a security screening on the outer edge of the plaza and can then mill about the area before gaining admission into the stadium," Silverman reported.
- New market space on the 100 level that will feature grab-and-go technology, as well as one bar that focuses on New England-based craft beers.
- A new drinking space called Celebration Beer Hall, which will feature a glass wall allowing patrons to see Patriots and Revolution players exit their locker rooms and enter the field.
- An atrium area on the club and suite levels bookended by bars with several enormous TV screens. "Like the lighthouse, it will be open year-round and can serve as a function space," Silverman reported. "And the Row of Honor area for armed service members has been expanded."
According to Sillverman, the Kraft family built Gillette Stadium for $325 million in 2002 and, up until the latest investment, spent in excess of $300 million on other stadium enhancements. The north-end project is the largest single renovation yet, lifting the total renovation cost, entirely funded by the Krafts, to $550 million.
