Since pro and college sports moved into large stadiums and arenas, upper-deck seats have been the setting for many fans’ first live sports experiences...
...Since 2008, construction costs — all types, not just sports venues — in nine major markets have increased between 92% (Minneapolis) and 110% (Seattle), according to data from Mortenson. And tech spending has increased greatly, reaching roughly 20% of a project’s total cost, according to Ampthink — a figure that can mean hundreds of millions of dollars in a several-billion-dollar project. Any public investment increases the pressure for every aspect of a sports venue to show return on investment.
That environment has intensified the scrutiny on the last 2,000 seats in a venue, said Josh Cohen, CAA ICON senior vice president, strategic advisory. Adding those seats to a design means more restrooms, points of sale and ingress/egress corridors … more costs.
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