Renovations Take Shape At Raymond James Stadium

30 March 2016

Changes are beginning to take shape at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The outward changes should make going to a game more enjoyable in the future

Work crews have already dismantled one end zone scoreboard and are working to take down the other one. Both will be replaced by a series of video boards.

In addition to the new video boards, there will be 12 additional cameras feeding the boards, giving fans a viewpoint from every perspective of the field.

Brian Ford is the chief operating officer with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “We are going from a little over 4,000 thousand square feet of total video space to over 28,000 thousand square feet with the scoreboard, tower wall and ribbon space,” Ford said.

The first of the two-phase project should be finished in time for the start of the Buccaneers 2016 season.

Ford said all the work should bring what was once considered to be the crown jewel of the National Football League up to date.

“There is a lot of competition out there. There is a lot of state-of-the-art stadiums. I truly believe Raymond James Stadium is the crown jewel, but she is 18 years old and these enhancements are gong to bring her to the next level,” he added.

The improvements, from an upgraded sound system to re-designed suites, should enhance the fan experience.

Football fan Anthony Friday looks forward to the changes. “They are saying that anywhere in the stadium you are going to have a good seat of what is happening down on the field which is great,” Friday said. “Any upgrades or anything you can do additionally to bring attractions to a city, the better your chances of getting that Super Bowl here.”

The Bucs will be pick up two-thirds of the $100 million-price tag. Tampa and Hillsborough County will pay the rest. “It is no secret that sports franchises need to and want to be partners of the community, and this is just an example of that partnership,” Ford said.

 

Source : wfla.com