Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Sports stadiums are an architectural marvel. Aside from their massive size, sports stadiums serve as cultural landmarks and a meeting hub where fans come to rejoice or grieve. Dick's Sporting Goods Park is a prime example of such a stadium. This stadium field complex, DSG Park, is home to the Colorado Rapids, a professional American soccer club based in Denver.
DSG Park is not the first home venue to the Colorado Rapids, nor were the Colorado Rapids the first occupants of this stadium in the Commerce City of Colorado. The DSG Park has a fascinating story behind its construction.
But before we dive into that, if you're a sports fan in Colorado, take advantage of the appealing Colorado sportsbook promo to boost your bankroll. With that being said, below, we'll take a closer look at how DSG Park went from being a vision to reality.
The history of the DSG park started in 2004, when Colorado Rapids, Kroenke Sports Enterprise, and officials of Commerce City announced plans to develop more than 360 acres into a soccer-specific stadium. This stadium will serve the Colorado Rapids, retail development, youth service field, and a new commerce city civic center, amongst other things.
The projected cost for the construction of the stadium was $64.5 million, while voters in Commerce City approved a $65 million bond for infrastructure improvement to support the stadium.
In the fall of 2005, construction of the stadium started at the Prairie Gateway site, which is boarded to the west by Quebec, to the east by the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, to the south by 56th Avenue, and near the Stapleton International Airport. Regarding the $130 million project, Commerce City will contribute 160 acres of land used for the project, while KSE will purchase the remaining 200 acres.
Construction of the complex was completed on April 7th, 2007. But before that, in 2006, Dicks Sporting Goods signed a 20-year naming right on the stadium.
Many people associate the Dicks Sporting Goods Park with the Colorado Rapids. But there's more to this state-of-the-art stadium than hosting Colorado Rapids. Designed by HOK, now Populous, and constructed by Turner Construction, the DSG Park has a capacity of 18,000 seats for sport events like soccer, 19,000 for special occasions, or 27,000 if hosting concerts.
The design of the stadium is such that it resembles an actual rapid, with its roof having a dynamic layout. The sports complex is one of the largest soccer complexes, with up to 25 full-sized playing fields. Note two of its playing fields are synthetic. The DSG Park complex has a parking area labeled A through G, which can accommodate nearly 5000 vehicles for the general public.
The DSG Park has hosted several events since its inauguration. Some of the events hosted in the DSG Park include:
The DSG has hosted several international soccer matches. In 2007, it hosted a friendly men's competition between Mexico and Columbia, with over 17,000 in attendance. The DSG Park hosted the 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cup Qualifications. Also, two of the 2015 Olympic Qualifying matches were hosted in this stadium.
The DSG Park has also hosted many rugby games. For example, it hosted several matches in the 2009 Churchill Cups. The Denver Barbarians of the Rugby Super League also hosted occasional home matches at DSG Park.
The DSG Park stadium also hosts lacrosse matches. In 2009, it hosted the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association National Championships. The stadium also hosted the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship.
The Mile High Music Festival was hosted annually from 2008 to 2010 in DSG Park. Also, Snoop Dogg's 2013 summer tour was hosted at the stadium. Other artists that have hosted tours in the DSG Park include Guns N' Roses, Imagine Dragons, Luke Bryan, etc.
The construction of Dick Sporting Goods Park has been a significant milestone for the city. Notably, Colorado Rapids and its fan base have been significant beneficiaries of this development. And hopefully, we will see more development like this in other cities.
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