The operations team at Allegiant Stadium has been given the green light to move into the state-of-the-art venue after the Mortenson|McCarthy joint venture received a certificate of occupancy for the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team.
The joint venture team concluded work on the stadium last Thursday, paving the way for the operations team to assume control and begin preparations for the stadium’s first official event.
Mortenson|McCarthy was the design-build contractor responsible for Allegiant Stadium and led a team comprising more than 100 firms. The company also worked with the Raiders, owner’s representative CAA Icon, MANICA Architecture and the design team to deliver the stadium.
More than 12,000 individuals contributed to the design and construction of the stadium. The Raiders praised Mortenson|McCarthy for achieving a total recordable incident rate of 0.98, which is less than a third of the national average.
Eric Grenz, Mortenson|McCarthy’s vice-president of operations, said: “Football fans and the community of Las Vegas will really enjoy the design and unique elements of this stadium. Allegiant Stadium is second to none and sets a new benchmark for sports and entertainment facilities. We’re thrilled to reach this important milestone and look forward to seeing the stadium come to life when it opens.”
Paul Duzinski, Mortenson|McCarthy project executive, added: “To see first-hand the impact this project has had on every worker, business, intern and visitor has been extremely humbling. This team has accomplished something incredible together, and we are proud to be able to share this amazing destination with our neighbours and community.”
As well as serving as the home of the Raiders, Allegiant Stadium will host the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ American football team and a range of other sporting and non-sporting events. Last week, the stadium was forced to postpone its first event, a Garth Brooks concert, from August 22 to February 27 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Raiders are due to play two pre-season games at Allegiant Stadium, against the Arizona Cardinals on August 27 and the Los Angeles Rams on September 3. The Raiders’ first regular-season game at the venue will be against the New Orleans Saints on September 21.
The playing field at Allegiant Stadium weighs nearly 20 million pounds and is housed in a movable tray on 540 electrically-powered wheels. The feature allows the natural grass field to receive sunlight and water, providing the stadium with both natural grass and turf playing surfaces.
The Raiders added that the project exceeded all small and diverse business goals, with 23 per cent awarded to small businesses and 62 per cent of the workforce being minority and female. Seventy per cent of all firms involved on the project were Nevada-based companies.
