Stadium projects in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New York, and further afield in Guadalajara and London grabbed AN headlines this year.
Excitement mounted for the New York Liberty basketball team in Brooklyn after its 2024 championship win. The team is now awaiting a practice facility designed by Populous. Kicking it to Mexico, Sordo Madaleno and Plantica have designed a new stadium for Atlas FC, one of Mexico’s oldest soccer teams.
Whether located in the heart of downtown or nestled into a sea of parking in the suburbs, sports stadium development comes at a hefty cost. It was recently reported that a new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs will consume $1.8 billion in public subsidies. A new Buffalo Bills stadium snatched up $850 million in public financing, and the new digs for the Tennessee Titans costs taxpayers almost $1.3 billion.
Here are the sports stories that caught AN’s attention in 2025.
Improvements were made to historic Dodger Stadium
Construction on a $100 million renovation at Dodger Stadium started one day after the franchise’s championship parade in November and continued right up to this past opening day in March. The renovation set an important precedent. Today, Dodger Stadium is the third oldest Major League Baseball stadium (1962), after Boston’s Fenway Park (1912) and Chicago’s Wrigley Field (1914). When other franchises are opting to demolish their old stadiums for new ones, the choice to conserve Dodger Stadium went against the grain.
AN spoke with Janet Marie Smith, executive vice president of Planning & Development, for the Dodgers. She oversees a team of architects that continues to update Dodger Stadium.
MANICA and TVS were tapped to design new Oklahoma City Thunder arena
Oklahoma City Thunder officials shared renderings of a new 750,000-square-foot arena for the franchise just after the team beat the Pacers in the NBA championship finals.
The sports facility will be built downtown on the site of a former convention center, across the street from Paycom Center, where the Thunder have played since 2008. MANICA will serve as design architect and TVS as the architect of record.
Demolition of the convention center started in March. Plans for the new arena in Oklahoma City come amid a development boom: In May, a masterplan by Populous and NBA phenom-turned-developer Russell Westbrook outlined a vision for a new entertainment district, anchored by the new Thunder arena.
Sixers opted to replace Wells Fargo Center with new stadium by Populous and Moody Nolan
A saga facing Philadelphia’s Chinatown residents came to an end this year when city officials terminated a plan to build a new Sixers stadium in Center City’s Market East corridor. Instead of moving to Center City, the team will stay put in the South Philadelphia stadium district at the Wells Fargo Center, where it and Flyers currently play. The Wells Fargo Center will be demolished and a new purpose-built home for the teams will be built in its place.
The future stadium could also be home to a future WNBA team pending a successful bid for one, said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Comcast Spectacor announced in June that Populous and Moody Nolan will design Wells Fargo Center’s replacement stadium.
Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens to undergo renovations by ROSETTI
An $800 million renovation was announced this summer for the Billie Jean King National Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, by longtime architectural partners ROSSETTI. The renovation entails significant upgrades to Arthur Ashe Stadium, and a new Player Performance Center: a one-stop shop for recovery, strength training, and nutrition with a cafe, lounge, dining room, and outdoor rooftop terrace.
The renovations to Ashe will increase the availability of courtside seating from 3,000 to 5,000, allowing more fans to get closer to the action.
Wimbledon expansion plan by Allies and Morrison continues to draw push back
Across the pond, Wimbledon is the oldest of the four Grand Slam tournaments. The hallowed London grounds are slated for an expansion by Allies and Morrison. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s proposal for Wimbledon would nearly triple its current footprint, improving the tennis facilities, restoring the property’s lake, and creating a 230-acre park.
Save Wimbledon Park, a local advocacy group, initiated a campaign to thwart the expansion plan, arguing it puts the heritage site—featuring a manmade lake in its grassland setting, old woodlands, veteran trees, and the historic views—at risk. In July, a judge rejected the challenge brought by Save Wimbledon Park against the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), paving the way for the tennis club to proceed with its approximately $270 million plan. This ruling was recently appealed and will be reviewed again in court.
HKS will design new Washington Commanders complex on former RFK Stadium site
HKS was selected this year by the Washington Commanders to design a new $3.7 billion stadium in Washington, D.C. on the Anacostia River waterfront for the NFL franchise owned by Josh Harris. HKS will transform the 180-acre, former Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium site into a year-round destination for sports, entertainment, housing, and parks and recreation.
ESPN reported in November Trump is now vying to have the forthcoming complex named after himself. According to a senior White House staffer, the dedication is “what the president wants, and it will probably happen.” (For precedent, look at what happened to the Kennedy Center)
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