FAA approves Rams stadium construction after settling height concerns

Dive Brief:

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the Los Angeles Rams' new $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood, CA., according to the Los Angeles Times.
The FAA had concerns that the height of the new venue would interfere with radar functionality at Los Angeles International Airport, but the Rams have agreed to pay $29 million for an additional radar system that will ensure uninterrupted and safe airport operations.
Excavation for the project is nearing completion, but FAA approval — a process that the agency initiated in November 2015 — was necessary in order to begin above-ground construction.

Dive Insight:

The FAA has been in the position of dampening high building hopes in the past. In February 2016, developer Crescent Heights Inspiration Living decided to reduce the size of a planned Seattle skyscraper after the FAA expressed concerns about its intended elevation. Crescent Heights reduced the building's height by seven stories — about 150 feet — and decreased the number of rental units and hotel rooms, as well as office space square footage. That project has not yet started construction.

The San Diego Chargers — now the Los Angeles Chargers — announced earlier this month that they would be relocating and sharing the new Inglewood stadium with the Rams. After NFL owners granted the Chargers the right to move to Los Angeles in January 2016, San Diego officials sought a commitment from the team to stay with the possibility of the city contributing financially to the construction of a new stadium and convention center. However, voters rejected that plan in November.

The city then tried to coax the Chargers into a deal that would see them remain at Qualcomm on a $1 annual lease. Team owner Dean Spanos took the NFL up on the option to relocate with just days left until the offer expired.

The HKS-designed Inglewood stadium will be at the center of a 300-acre mixed-use development dubbed the L.A. Stadium and Entertainment District, which will include more than 1 million square feet of retail, 2,500 residential units, a hotel, 25 acres of green space and a 6,000-seat concert facility. Construction crews broke ground in November on the massive venue.