Construction managers say Louisville’s new professional soccer stadium in Butchertown remains on track to open for the spring 2020 season.
Louisville City FC team President Brad Estes said he couldn’t be happier with the progress being made and looks forward to the newest addition to Louisville’s skyline.
“It’s hard to imagine that we’re in this spot where we are,” Estes said. “This stadium is flying right now. It’s really transformed our skyline and we’re really excited about it.”
The $65-million, 11,300-seat stadium is being built by Messer and Harmon Construction and sits in the Butchertown Development District on Adams St. The project's financing also includes $30 million in public money.
Messer-Harmon project executive Jason Larkin said the grass field is on pace to be laid down after the main steel for the stadium’s structure is done — probably around July 4. The stadium’s roof is about two-thirds of the way set right now, Larkin said.
“The main point that we’re paying attention to is getting the grass on the field,” Larkin said. “It’s very important to the team that we get it in and established for our season to start next spring.”
Messer-Harmon regional leader John Megibben said he was proud of the local workforce contributing to the project; 76 percent of the construction workers are from the Louisville area.
“It was a big goal of ours and we’re proud to say we’re delivering on that just the same as we’re delivering on the schedule and the budget of this project,” Megibben said. “We’ve got a championship team and a championship city and we think this is a championship project.”
Estes said the team is working with “many different potential tenants and joint venture partners” and couldn’t announce anything at the time, but said “the activity is very high” on that front.
One of the stadium’s unique features will be its lighting. Larkin said the lights, which he referred to as "light spires," will allow for light shows and colored, chasing lights on the field when players come out and score goals.
“If you go to any ballpark around town or in any other city, you’ve got these big, massive just blocks of lights that are all in one spot and just shine all over the place,” Larkin said. “On this project, the architects and engineers have designed a unique lighting scenario where the lights will go straight up those poles and kind of blend in with the structure.”
Larkin said he couldn’t imagine a scenario in which the stadium wouldn’t be done by the 2020 season.