Back in April of last year, things were looking pretty good for the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, who were both hoping to relocate to Los Angeles, and had scraped together an exciting plan for a joint stadium in Carson.
Well, we know how that turned out. In January, the NFL owners voted to allow the Rams to return to Los Angeles, and less than nine months later, the team has already played two preseason games in the Coliseum as construction begins on their state-of-the-art stadium in Inglewood. Meanwhile, the city of Carson is looking to put up a shopping mall on the site of the planned stadium.
Of course, it’s a shame to see such elaborate, Porsche-inspired stadium plans go to waste. Thankfully, as Urbanize LA points out, it looks like they may have some use yet.
Last week, the Raiders unveiled plans for a flashy new stadium in Las Vegas (we’re not sure what’s wrong with Oakland, but they really don’t seem like they want to be there). Let’s take a look:
(update) 8/27/16 ~ Two Las Vegas sites preferred for NFL stadium https://t.co/LTREDFtJXB
— Las Vegas Raiders? (@RaidersToLV) August 28, 2016
Hmm. This looks awfully familiar. Here’s that scrapped stadium in Carson for comparison:
It seems the Raiders are hoping that the Manica Architecture-designed stadium that the NFL passed over in SoCal will go over a little better in the glitzier environment of Sin City.
There are, of course, a few differences. Most obviously: the Vegas stadium has a darker, more Raiders-specific color scheme and—like the future Rams stadium—sports a glassy roof (the Carson stadium would have been an open air venue). Still, early renderings indicate the new stadium would retain one of the most distinctive features of the Carson design: a massive torch honoring former Raiders owner Al Davis. Sadly, it won’t be shooting lightning after Charger touchdowns anymore (unless the Chargers should unexpectedly decide to join the Raiders in pursuit of a move to the Silver State).
The stadium’s construction, of course, is far from a done deal. The Raiders, who are teaming up with with Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Majestic Realty to build the stadium, are still finalizing the sale of a proposed stadium site just west of the Mandalay Bay resort and casino. The team will also have to convince all 32 NFL owners to approve the move—no easy task, if the vote that sent the Rams back to LA is any indication.
In the meantime, it’s nice to see those old Carson plans are being put to good use.
- Unbuilt Carson Stadium Resurfaces...in Las Vegas [Urbanize LA]
- Carson’s Failed NFL Stadium Site Could Become an Upscale Outlet Mall [Curbed LA]
- Carson Stadium's Redesign Includes 120-Foot-Tall Tower That Shoots Lightning [Curbed LA]
- Three NFL Teams All Want to Move to Los Angeles Really Badly [Curbed LA]
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