Learn the Story Behind Allegiant Stadium
With Allegiant Stadium expected to complete construction on July 31, the journey is nearly over for a stadium that began construction three years ago.
Back when the Raiders were approved to relocate in Las Vegas in March of 2017, work immediately began on what would eventually be known as Allegiant Stadium.
With a target date of June 2020, in was a joint venture of Mortenson-McCarthy, which was in charge of constructing the $1.9 billion stadium, while Manica Architecture designed the masterpiece.
Manica Architecture has been involved with the Raiders since the franchise began its hunt for a new city. Manica was in charge of rendering a concept for the never-built Carson Stadium in California. At the time, the Raiders were planned to share their new home with the Los Angeles Chargers. The project was ultimately canceled early in 2016 after the Chargers and Los Angeles Rams teamed up to construct SoFi Stadium.
A year later, when the Raiders move to Las Vegas was approved by the NFL owners, instead of drawing up a new stadium plan from scratch, Manica Architecture adapted its original concept from Carson Stadium.
There are a couple of notable differences in Allegiant Stadium compared to the Carson Stadium concept.
First, Allegiant Stadium will be domed, unlike Carson Stadium, which would have been open-air. The domed design protects fans and players from the hot Nevada sun.
In addition, due to the domed design, Allegiant Stadium has a feature which allows the field to slide in and out from the south end of the stadium. This allows the grass to rest in the sun on non-game days and maintain a healthier playing field.
Allegiant Stadium cost $1.9 billion to construct. Of the total cost, $750 million will be covered by the public via a hotel tax.
The stadium will have a capacity of 65,000 people, expandable to 72,000 during special events such as the Super Bowl.
Other notable features include an 85-foot tall torch honoring Al Davis, located on the north side of the stadium.
Allegiant Stadium also features a stunning view of the Las Vegas Strip from the north end of the stadium.
As for building the stadium itself, although construction never halted, Mortenson-McCarthy had to deal with COVID-19 during the final few months of work.
On March 25, Mortenson-McCarthy issued a statement confirming that one worker tested positive for COVID-19. By May 1, 16 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on the construction site, prompting Mortenson-McCarthy to request assistance from the Southern Nevada Health District.
Earlier this month, the joint venture was issued a fine by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration for $13,494. OSHA alleges two workers were not following social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Mortenson-McCarthy is refuting the finding and contesting the fine.
Allegiant Stadium was built at a unique time and has a unique story. It started as a different stadium, was built in the middle of a pandemic and it’s ready to host the Raiders' first home game in a matter of weeks.
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