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Rose Bowl to get $152M renovation
The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. File photo.
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zoonabar/Flickr CC
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The Pasadena City Council unanimously approved Monday night a $152 million renovation project at the Rose Bowl.
Work on the three-phase plan is scheduled to begin in January and continue until August 2013. Wider tunnels, new scoreboards and video boards and concourse improvements are among the upgrades to be included.
Other than renovations to the press box, most of the work will be done between football seasons.
"We are very pleased that we have been able to develop a renovation plan that has been embraced by the stakeholders of the Rose Bowl and our community, and also provide a financial plan agreeable to the city council,'' said Darryl Dunn, general manager of the 88-year-old stadium.
Primary funding for the project will come from bonds issued by Pasadena.
The project's financing plan includes 30-year lease extensions by the Tournament of Roses Association to continue playing the Rose Bowl Game at the stadium and UCLA to continue playing its football games at the stadium.
The project includes increasing the number of concession stands and restrooms, improving the tunnels and concourse, a new scoreboard and video board and a museum.
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According to project organizers, the renovation will make it easier for fans to move around the stadium, thanks to improved tunnels in and out of the seating area and a larger concourse. There will also be more restrooms, more concession stands and an upgraded press box.
The project also includes a new video board more than double the size of the existing one. The south scoreboard will be reconstructed.
The stadium's overall seating capacity is expected to drop by about 2,000 to 3,000 seats.
"The renovation of the Rose Bowl Stadium is a vital piece of maintaining the history of the Rose Bowl Game and ensuring its success,'' said Scott McKibben, executive director of the Tournament of Roses.
"We are confident we will remain the premier bowl game annually for our participants, spectators and broadcast audience throughout the world with proper enhancements to this storied facility.''
A private group, Legacy Connections, plans to hold a campaign to raise funds for some elements of the project.
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