The Green Bay Packers announced today their plans to expand Lambeau Field by 6,600 seats as well as adding a new entrance gate to the south and north end zones by the start of the 2013 season with groundbreaking scheduled for September 1 this year. Some of the funding could come from a new sale of Packers stock.
The seats will be added in four levels and the seats will contain seatbacks. The project also includes a rooftop viewing area for club seat holders that will be available for special non-football events (like this year’s Kenny Chesney concert) as well.
Escalators and elevators are also being added to the north and south end zones to ease the flow of entry and exit of fans from the stadium.
The Packers are completely funding this project which will include some loans, according to the press release from the team. A team stock sale is being considered and user fees similar to the 1999-2003 renovation of Lambeau Field is also being discussed.
Ticket prices are expected to be between the cost of a current bowl seat ($87) to club seat prices (maximum $313).
Well, my first obvious thought is the more Cheeseheads to make noise at Lambeau, the better. As you can see by the image, this isn’t truly “closing off” the bowl as there are gaps between the three sections of new seats. Of course while noise is a good thing sometimes, you don’t want to become a Metrodome without a roof.
Regarding the stock sale, I’m excited. This would open the door to a whole new bunch of NFL owners and the continued tradition of the community and the Packers working together for the good of the team. The downside is that if the price is at $500 a share (and it could be higher if a sale is held), that’s a lot of money for a family to fork over in this economy.
Then again, knowing the resiliency of Packer Nation, they’ll find a way for this to happen.
Of course, some fans may be upset that some seats will feature backs as the rest of Lambeau has the old school bleachers. The Packers in their press release did say that general seating would be featured but not all fans are comfortable on bleachers. While I think the old bleachers are neat, it’s time to at least add some new modern seating.
The bottom line is this is a win for the Packers and their fans. While it won’t put a big dent in the long line of season ticket holders, this gives 6,600 more fans a chance to experience the majesty and magic of Lambeau Field and will make the best homefield advantage in the NFL that much stronger.
——————
Kris Burke is a sports writer covering the Green Bay Packers for AllGreenBayPackers.com and WTMJ in Milwaukee. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) and his work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke
——————
It will make the stadium much louder which is one thing that Lambeau field lacked. There will be tons of people that want to leave the stadium as it is, but they are the same people that were up in arms during the last renovation. I am sure that the team will keep as much of the original feel as possible, but face it times are changing. That 1957 chevy is a beautiful car, but would you want to drive it to work everyday? I doubt it. The team needs to make going to the game as comfortable as possible. HD and 3D television require teams to scale up their gameday experience.
I am curious, if there is a sale of Packer stock.
Is there a waiting list and how would someone go about buying some?
I would assume that if you keep an eye on the Packers.com website they will advertise it. Also, it sounds like it will cost $500 a share, which is strange. The last offering was $100 a share wasn’t it? I think it was cool that you could get someone a share of packer stock for a x-mas president, now you would have to REALLY like the person to get them a share. They have not released how many shares they would put up for sale, so it is hard to say if there would be a waiting list. It seemed like the last time around, everyone that wanted one, got one. Which makes sense, it is free money for the franchise and only costs a stamp every year to send out your ballot.
I believe it was around $200 last time. Where did you hear $500? I haven’t seen any mention of pricing from the Packers.
I swear my dad paid $500 for his stock last time. I will have to double check that one.
They should consider constructing a dome over Lambeau. (Thinking to myself; how many face-palms, eye rolls and downright obscenities can I get from that statement?)
Ha! The packers should propose that as an April Fools joke. There is absolutely nothing better than going to a game in Lambeau when the snow is falling. I generally prefer to watch sporting events on TV, but a snow game at Lambeau is something special.
Gotta agree with Dan. I purposefully made my first trip to Lambeau when it was snowing and cold to get a feel for the “Frozen Tundra”. I am super stoked about the Stock Sale if it actually happens. The last one was 250 according to several posts on various sites that I have read. I am hoping its closer to that than 500. With the economy the way it is, one would hope they wouldn’t go any higher than that.
My last visit to Lambeau was the Seattle snow bowl game. I still get goosebumps thinking about those beautiful big snowflakes gently dropping all around me and lending a nice frosty head to my glass of Miller.
I’ve been to games at Lambeau in the 70s and when it was in the teens. The cold is preferred. I’ve also been to a game in the Metrodome and the Superdome. That is NOT how football should be played.
No dome ever. I see visions of the “Humpty Dump” collapsing. NO NEVER! TT is providing the Xcom with the resources needed to expand and add to the value of the franchise. After the Stadium the property around the stadium will be developed into other fan friendly services and attractions. All of this will help keep our beloved Packers financially healthy and the STAR ATTRACTION of the NFL.
Football was meant to be played in the weather. That’s part of the challenge. I want to buy a share of packer stock for my husband for Xmas. When is it going to be released and for how much. Can anyone help me find out this info?
Nothing official has been announced yet. Should be before Christmas and most think it will be at least $200 per share. You’ll have to wait until the Packers officially announce the sale.
I was just seeking this information for a while. After six hours of continuous Googleing, finally I got it in your web site. I wonder what’s the lack of Google strategy that do not rank this type of informative sites in top of the list. Usually the top web sites are full of garbage.
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the long run and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this submit and if I may just I desire to recommend you few fascinating things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles regarding this article. I wish to learn more things approximately it!
I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this site. Reading this info So i¡¦m satisfied to exhibit that I have a very good uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I most for sure will make sure to do not disregard this website and provides it a look regularly.