Columbus Crew Stadium
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Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium seats 22,500 (expanded 30,000), was built with private funds, and is located on the grounds of the Ohio Exposition Center and State Fairgrounds. The stadium opened May 15, 1999 with a match between the home Columbus Crew and the New England Revolution. It was the first stadium in the United States designed specifically to host top-level soccer. The stadium has hosted the MLS All-Star Game in 2000 and the league championship in 2001, NCAA Soccer Final Four, US national soccer team matches, and 2003 Women’s World Cup. It has also hosted games for the Ohio High School State Championship tournaments in both football and soccer. Columbus Crew Stadium will also host the 2005 MLS All-Star Game on July 30, 2005.
Date Built: 1999
Ownership: Lamar Hunt & family
Capacity: 22,500 (expanded 30,000)
Surface: Grass
Cost of Construction: $25 Million
Address: 1 Black And Gold Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43211
Tenant: Columbus Crew
Parking: 9,800
The numbers for Columbus Crew Stadium:
- 120,000 hours worked by Kokosing Construction without a lost-time accident
- 57,000 ft² (5,300 m²) Crew Kicker Plaza
- 40,000 ft² (3,700 m²) of steel siding
- 25,134 seats
- 14,000 feet (4.3 km) of handrail
- 9,800 parking spaces (800 paved, 9000 grass)
- 8,625 ft² (800 m²) of playing surface, 75 by 115 yd (69 m by 105 m) to accommodate any FIFA event
- 1,400 tons of galvanized structural steel used for construction
- 562 concrete bleacher support columns
- 384 ft² (36 m²) video board
- 288 bathroom stalls
- 274 days from groundbreaking to inaugural game (9 months, 1 day)
- 193 sinks
- 169 ft (52 m) light poles (4)
- 140 doors
- 84 ft (26 m) wide concrete soccer ball (Crew Kicker Plaza)
- 62 urinals*
- 54 individual 2 kW bulbs per light pole
- 48 ft (15 m) tall at the highest point
- 34 sponsor panels
- 32 ft (10 m) of scrolling matrix board
- 30 open-air Club Loges
- 26 shower heads
- 22 miles (35 km) of wiring
- 19 inch (480 mm) wide bleacher seats
- 15 acre (61,000 m²) site
- 13 sports-themed arcade games
- 6 sets of restrooms
- 3 glacial rocks used for decor
- 2 automated teller machines
- 1 1/4 inch (32 mm) tall Four-Blend Kentucky Bluegrass
- 1 tenant - Columbus Crew