Green Bay Packers plan a bigger and louder Lambeau Field R

Renovation will add 6,600 seats to the South End Zone, creating an impact on the noise level of the stadium. Great news were given to Brown County citizens and the Green Bay Packers fans by team president and CEO Mark Murphy on Thursday, as he made official that the 6,600-seat expansion that the Lambeau Field will go through on the South End Zone will not be done with the taxpayers’ money. Works are set to begin on September 1st and expected to be ready by the beginning of the 2013 season, as part of the three-year redevelopment plan that began this year with the upgrade of the sound system, which will continue in 2012 with the installation of new video boards, to conclude the year after with the opening of 6,600 new seats. This project will allow the Lambeau to increase its capacity to over 79,000 people, turning it into the fourth-largest in the league. Two new tower gates will be also constructed for the North and South End Zone, increasing the cost of the redevelopment to around $143 million. Miron Construction of Neenah, Wisconsin will be in charge of the works that will reach as high as the banks of light found at the South End Zone. The new 6,600 seats will be distributed in four levels - tiered vertically- and will close the gap between the press box and east side suites, which should contribute in holding the Lambeau’s noise level. Through a stock sale and traditional borrowing, along with additional funding options such as the one used in the 2003 renovations the Packers are confident in financing all the expansion costs. A big influence in the decision has been the signing of a new collective bargaining contract that will rule the NFL for the next 10-years, which besides guarantying a decade of labor peace also incentivizes franchises with a contribution of up to 1.5 percent a team’s total annual revenue for new stadium construction. Besides keeping up with the amenities of newer stadiums Murphy explains that the redevelopment will also make of their field a more hostile place for visitors, as the “Wall of Lambeau”, like he calls the project, will hold the noise in considerably. But it is financially speaking where any doubt about the project is dissipated, as the “Wall” will generate 66,000 more tickets available for the fans each year, which translated into numbers equal almost $11 million in revenue. And the economic impact doesn’t just stop right there, for around 1,600 jobs will be generated in Brown County over the next two years, providing at least $70 million in wages. With a waiting list of over 88,000 people many fans will be lucky enough to get the chance of acquiring a ticket sooner than expected. Focusing in the present the Packers are the Vince Lombardi trophy defending champions, and have already began their preseason towards their title defense season. On Week 1 they lost 27-17 on the road to the Cleveland Browns, and on Week 2 gave their fans happiness with a 28-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals at home. Friday they will continue their preparation at Lucas Oil Stadium, where they will visit the Dallas Cowboys. The preseason will end at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, where they will be returning on September 8 for the 2011-12 NFL season kick off versus the New Orleans Saints.