Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Video: Hollywood Park Grandstand Imploded To Make Way For NFL Stadium

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.

video via NBC 4

Inglewood residents received a loud wake-up call this morning as the grandstand of Hollywood Park was imploded to make way for an NFL stadium.

A demolition crew imploded the historic structure at 6 a.m., Sunday morning, and among those that were in attendance to watch the spectacle was Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and a gathering of St. Louis Rams fans, who are hoping this event brings the Rams closer to return to Los Angeles. "It's a good first step. The Rams will be here," Javier Quinones told NBC 4.

On the site of the Hollywood Park racetrack will be a $2 billion development project that will include an 80,000-seat stadium, hotel, concert venue, retail space, and residential units. Among the backers of the project is Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who announced the project back in January.

Sponsor

"We just witnessed 75 years of history come tumbling down," Mayor Butts told KTLA. Butts said the grandstand, which could hold 65,000 people at capacity, was part of "the fabric of Inglewood."

"This was its last moment."

The early Sunday morning schedule for the implosion was chosen as it was deemed the least intrusive on the community and for flights at LAX, just a few miles away.

Although the Inglewood stadium project is seemingly moving forward, it has a bit of competition from another proposed stadium in Carson, which could potentially host both the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers. So far, the NFL has not officially announced whether the Rams, Raiders, or Chargers would be moving to Los Angeles.

At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.

Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.

This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.

That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Chip in now to fund your local journalism

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right