The Orlando City Council voted Feb.24 to execute a contract with a Barton Malow-AECOM Hunt joint venture for $400 million in renovations to Camping World Stadium over the next two years.
The advisory committee for the city ranked the JV’s bid for the construction-manager-at-risk contract ahead of a Balfour Beatty and Austin Construction JV, Gilbane Building Co. and Whiting-Turner, WFTV9 reported.
The improvements to the Orlando, Florida, sports venue will add 2,000 seats while also improving the existing structure to extend its lifespan, according to a funding agreement between the city and Orange County. Total construction costs for the renovations are estimated to be $338.5 million, per the document, with $61.5 million in non-construction costs such as design and permitting.
The upgrades, set to be completed in 2027, would mean no part of the venue would be older than nine years, the Sports Business Journal reported. Barton Malow previously worked on upgrades to the stadium in 2014 and 2022.
The stadium was built for $115,000 and opened in 1936 as Orlando Stadium, according to the venue’s website. Since then it has gone through multiple name changes, hosted numerous college football bowl games, FIFA World Cup matches and several of the NFL’s all-star matchup Pro Bowls, to name a few.
Objectives of the stadium improvement include:
- Add 2,000 seats for a total of 65,000.
- Improve upper seating bowls to increase lifespan.
- Replace upper-level concourse and amenities.
- Construct two new end zone towers.
- Elevate the fan experience by smoothing entry and departure areas.
- Modernize stadium systems such as HVAC, Wi-Fi and fire suppression.
The Kia Center, approximately 1 mile away from Camping World, also received $200 million in public funding for renovations during the same city council meeting. The improvements to the home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic will be spread out over 10 years and bonds for work won’t be issued until 2027, the Sports Business Journal reported.
