Architect Announces Plans for New Lions Stadium

The Detroit-based Smith Group, and architect and engineering firm, detailed plans for the new $315 million Ford Field recently. New amenities for the new 65,000-seat Detroit Lions stadium include better seating with a closer view of the field, diverse suites and the reuse of the former Hudson’s warehouse in downtown Detroit. The main Hudson’s retail building, long vacant, was destroyed in 1998 to make way for new stadium projects.

Ford Field is going up next door to the new Detroit Tigers baseball stadium, Comerica Park, which debuted this season.”There’s more emphasis on fan satisfaction in the new field,” says Randal Swiech, an engineer and vice president of Smith Group. “We’ve put more seats along the sidelines, instead of the end zone. We’ve got 120 suites, all different sizes and layouts. Some of them are situated to make it feel like you’re outdoors,” he told GlobeSt.com.

The suites were constructed along an exterior wall of the former Hudson’s warehouse. The six-story building was incorporated into the stadium design.The inside of the warehouse will be transformed into offices, shops and restaurants, Swiech says.