A New Stadium for new Team

Work continues apace on the renovation and expansion of PGE Park in Portland, according to Mike Golub, chief operating officer for the Portland Timbers. “Everything is on track and on schedule,” he said in a recent statement.

The park, which opened in 1926, has hosted a variety of tenants over the years, including the Timbers in both their NASL and USL incarnations. It was in need of a face-lift and a seating expansion in order to meet MLS requirements, but with an expected capacity of around 20,000, it will retain its small-stadium feel. According to www.portlandtimbers.com, the $31 million renovation will make it “[the] most intimate, exciting and authentic soccer facility in the United States.”

While this may be an overly optimistic assessment, by any sane criteria, the park promises to be an excellent venue.

The Nuts and Bolts:

1. The Pitch: The playing surface will be shifted to the north and west, adding 96,000 square feet of playing surface and freeing up space for new seating on the south and east sides of the stadium. New turf will be installed as well.
2. Amenities and Public Areas: A variety of amenities are planned for the east side as well as a public plaza that will be accessible when events are not in progress and will double as a group/family terrace. There will also be a private club entrance and restaurant as well as a sports therapy clinic and the usual team store.
3. Large Format Video/Broadcast: Upgrades to PGE Park's virtually non-existent video and broadcast capabilities include new camera positions, LED video “ribbon” boards along the pitch, giant video scoreboards and additional TV monitors.
4. Team facilities such as locker rooms and practice areas will also be updated to meet MLS standards.

Additional amenities and seating are nice, but for the hardcore Timbers supporter, the bigger pitch, the institution of legitimate broadcast and video facilities and the retained intimacy at the stadium, look to figure as the best improvements.

The stadium will likely go through another name-change before the home opener against the Chicago Fire on April 14^th, and while it will never rival Seattle's Qwest Field for capacity, Portland's already well-established supporters base promises sold-out crowds and an exciting atmosphere.

Others will be pleased to learn that Vuvuzelas will be prohibited.