Chiefs Teicher:Chiefs unveil renovated Arrowhead Stadium

**Tribal Warfare** · 07-23-2010, 11:56 PM

Chiefs unveil renovated Arrowhead Stadium
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Clark Hunt held up the renovated Arrowhead Stadium as a world-class facility worthy of someday playing host to a Super Bowl.

The NFL recently awarded the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather setting when it placed the 2014 game in the new Jets-Giants stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That move opened the possibility of a Super Bowl in Kansas City if the area’s infrastructure is capable of handling the large influx of visitors.

“The first step on that is to see how the cold-weather Super Bowl goes in an outdoor stadium,” said Hunt, the Chiefs’ chairman. “If the league has a good experience in New York, then there will undoubtedly be many communities to come back and ask for a cold-weather Super Bowl, and we would certainly be on that list.”

The Chiefs unveiled the renovated stadium Friday. Changes include a refurbished club level, upgraded bars, restaurants and concession areas, an expanded team store, the new horizon viewing level and a Founders Plaza on the stadium’s north side honoring the late Lamar Hunt.

The changes will be revealed to the public in Sunday’s soccer game between the Wizards and Manchester United. The first football game is the Aug. 27 preseason meeting between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

The stadium’s official debut is Sept. 13 for the Chiefs’ Monday night game against the San Diego Chargers.

“Our vision for the finished product was ‘New body, same soul,’ ” Hunt said, repeating the Chiefs’ marketing slogan for the renovations. “We wanted to give our fans all the amenities of a first-class stadium while preserving the iconic elements of Arrowhead. I’m delighted to say we’ve exceeded my loftiest expectations and we’re extremely proud to be able to show our fans the results.”

The renovations left the seating area largely unchanged. Hunt said about 2,500 seats were lost because of the stadium overhaul, lowering capacity to about 76,000. But from the seating area, the most visible changes were the addition of the new media deck atop the south stands and the horizon level immediately below.

Mindful of how loud Arrowhead can be when it’s at capacity, the Chiefs were careful not to alter the seating bowls.

“That was the plan right from the beginning,” Chiefs president Denny Thum said. “We looked at a lot of places, and probably the best blueprint was (Green Bay’s) Lambeau Field. That’s as iconic as it gets.”

About $250 million of the funds for the renovations were approved by Jackson County voters in April 2006. The Chiefs contributed $125 million more.

The Chiefs had been planning the renovations for some time before the funds were approved. Lamar Hunt made the project a priority before his death in December 2006.

“When my father was very ill at the end of his life, (former chairman) Jack Steadman and I were with him at the hospital,” Clark Hunt said. “He told both of us, ‘Make sure we get the new Arrowhead done right.’ It was so important to him, and he knew it would be so important to fans.

“I think if he could see it, he would say, ‘Well done.’ I know he would be thrilled with how the stadium turned out.”

07-23-2010, 11:56 PM	Topic Starter
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $352813	Teicher:Chiefs unveil renovated Arrowhead Stadium Chiefs unveil renovated Arrowhead Stadium By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star Clark Hunt held up the renovated Arrowhead Stadium as a world-class facility worthy of someday playing host to a Super Bowl. The NFL recently awarded the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather setting when it placed the 2014 game in the new Jets-Giants stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That move opened the possibility of a Super Bowl in Kansas City if the area’s infrastructure is capable of handling the large influx of visitors. “The first step on that is to see how the cold-weather Super Bowl goes in an outdoor stadium,” said Hunt, the Chiefs’ chairman. “If the league has a good experience in New York, then there will undoubtedly be many communities to come back and ask for a cold-weather Super Bowl, and we would certainly be on that list.” The Chiefs unveiled the renovated stadium Friday. Changes include a refurbished club level, upgraded bars, restaurants and concession areas, an expanded team store, the new horizon viewing level and a Founders Plaza on the stadium’s north side honoring the late Lamar Hunt. The changes will be revealed to the public in Sunday’s soccer game between the Wizards and Manchester United. The first football game is the Aug. 27 preseason meeting between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The stadium’s official debut is Sept. 13 for the Chiefs’ Monday night game against the San Diego Chargers. “Our vision for the finished product was ‘New body, same soul,’ ” Hunt said, repeating the Chiefs’ marketing slogan for the renovations. “We wanted to give our fans all the amenities of a first-class stadium while preserving the iconic elements of Arrowhead. I’m delighted to say we’ve exceeded my loftiest expectations and we’re extremely proud to be able to show our fans the results.” The renovations left the seating area largely unchanged. Hunt said about 2,500 seats were lost because of the stadium overhaul, lowering capacity to about 76,000. But from the seating area, the most visible changes were the addition of the new media deck atop the south stands and the horizon level immediately below. Mindful of how loud Arrowhead can be when it’s at capacity, the Chiefs were careful not to alter the seating bowls. “That was the plan right from the beginning,” Chiefs president Denny Thum said. “We looked at a lot of places, and probably the best blueprint was (Green Bay’s) Lambeau Field. That’s as iconic as it gets.” About $250 million of the funds for the renovations were approved by Jackson County voters in April 2006. The Chiefs contributed $125 million more. The Chiefs had been planning the renovations for some time before the funds were approved. Lamar Hunt made the project a priority before his death in December 2006. “When my father was very ill at the end of his life, (former chairman) Jack Steadman and I were with him at the hospital,” Clark Hunt said. “He told both of us, ‘Make sure we get the new Arrowhead done right.’ It was so important to him, and he knew it would be so important to fans. “I think if he could see it, he would say, ‘Well done.’ I know he would be thrilled with how the stadium turned out.”
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