L.A. Coliseum Renovation Takes Off

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has begun its renovation. A joint venture between Hathaway Dinwiddie and AECOM is overseeing the $270 million stadium renovation. The construction includes renovation to the stadium's peristyle, new premium seating and suites, new concession stands, new premium audio systems as well as infrastructure updates to the plumbing and mechanical systems. Hathaway has a longstanding relationship with USC for more than 12 years, and AECOM is known for building world-class sports facilities.

“We wanted to engage them based on their expertise of stadiums. They have done about 100 stadiums in the United States, both collegiate as well as professional,” Arthur Kozinski, senior vice president at Hathaway Dinwiddie, tells GlobeSt.com. “We thought that would be a good fit, along with our local presence and our longstanding relationship with USC. Between there expertise and our local presence and relationship, that seemed to make a lot of sense.”

The Coliseum was last renovated in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake. The project follows and aggressive timeline and must be complete by August 2019 for football season. In terms of their vision for the project, the timeline is dictating it. “Right now, it is mandated because there is a very aggressive schedule,” says Kozinski. “It is an 18-month schedule. We have to be open for the 2019 football season, and that means we need to be completed by August 2019. The project involves the renovation of the entire bowl, but the main part of the project is constructing a 240,000-square-foot bowl, which will house all of the new suites and premium seating.”

There has been a development boom in Downtown Los Angeles that has spread to the USC market—and there are two new construction stadiums in Los Angeles. While the renovation of the Coliseum fits in with the surrounding development activity, the lease was actually the impetus for the renovation. “I believe that there is a portion of the renovation that was mandated by the lease itself, and that is the lease that is between USC and the State of California,” says Kozinski. “There had to be a certain level of renovation done to bring the stadium up to snuff. The second part is the addition of the premium seating and suites.”