Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo has announced plans for major upgrades at PNC Stadium, with the project to include the installation of mesh seats throughout the entire seating bowl.
The venue, which also serves as the home of the NWSL’s Houston Dash, will be the first soccer-specific stadium in America with mesh seating throughout the facility.
The renovation project will begin immediately following the conclusion of the 2022 MLS and NWSL seasons and is expected to be ready in time for the start of the 2023 campaign. Plans also include a portion of PNC Stadium’s east side being reconfigured to create a new air-conditioned, premium all-inclusive club area called the East Club.
The plans were announced yesterday (Wednesday) as Houston Dynamo marked one year since Ted Segal became the new controlling owner of the club.
The mesh seats are designed to improve the experience for all guests at PNC Stadium events and have been produced by 4Topps and DreamSeats. The seats are up to 30 degrees cooler than traditional stadium seats and will include a cupholder and armrests.
Seats in the new East Club will feature premium high-backed mesh seats from 4Topps. The space will have capacity for 824 guests and will include an all-inclusive experience with premium food options and a dedicated bar serving beer, wine and cocktails along with non-alcoholic beverages.
The East Club will feature nine loge boxes offering individuals and companies the opportunity to entertain guests in a semi-private space with access to all-inclusive benefits.
The project represents the second stage of improvements to PNC Stadium under Segal’s leadership. Ahead of the 2022 MLS season, the stadium opened a safe standing area and reconfigured the south end of the venue into a pair of all-inclusive premium seating areas branded as the Shell Energy Sports Deck and the Pitch Zone.
Segal said: “As I have said since my first day, one of our biggest priorities is to enhance the game-day experience for our supporters. These improvements to PNC Stadium will allow us to improve the experience for every person who walks through our gates, draw more fans to the stadium and in turn give our players a stronger home-field advantage.
“This project will also make our facility a more active and engaged community asset that serves as a more attractive destination for additional soccer and non-soccer events.”
He added: “With an outdoor venue where we host many of our games and events during the summer months, everything we can do to give our visitors a more comfortable experience is important.
“One of the first things that we identified when I came on board last year was that we needed a wider variety of options for our fans to experience our stadium, particularly in a market as large as Houston. The East Club effectively doubles our luxury hospitality options and adds another climate-controlled space inside the stadium for our fans who want a more premium experience.”
PNC Stadium was previously known as BBVA Stadium but rebranded in November following PNC’s acquisition of BBVA USA.
Image: Houston Dynamo
