Loading...On March 27th, 2017 the NFL announced that the Raiders would be moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to start the 2020 football season. As stadiums go, this would be a far cry from The Coliseum in Oakland. As our world has changed, as the NFL has changed, so too have fans in terms of their in-stadium expectations. Combine all of that, with The Las Vegas backdrop, and it’s one history-making endeavor.
It has been called the “Most Connected Stadium in the World” with over 1,700 wifi access points, 227 miles of cable and over 2,000 flatscreens for the 70,000 fans that will be in attendance each game.
Accordion-style walls that open to an incredible view of the Vegas strip, premium suites on all levels, and an 85’ tall torch to honor the late owner Al Davis and his lasting impact on the Franchise. But most impressive of all is the retractable natural grass field, weighing in at 1,500 tons; it will move the field in and out of the stadium with the help of a series of 76 electric motors.
Lou Rotello, President, The Morse Group, a NECA Contractor, said “Well we were ecstatic that we were going to be part of another iconic project on the Vegas strip. It was amazing that we were selected and we are pretty proud of the fact that we were joining the team.” He continues to say that “In Vegas everything gets built quickly. This was another project that was going to get done quickly on a very tight schedule. We've got 7 months left to finish. We’ve got a ways to go but we are going to get there.”
Yes, the stadium will be ‘home field’ for The Raiders but, it’s the Las Vegas taxpayers who are footing the bill… as such assuring an on-time completion is critical because of potential cost-overruns but also the start of the 2020 season can not be pushed back.
Michael Naft, Commissioner, Clark County speaks to this when he says, “It is so important that we have talented individuals [working here] but also that we have skilled labor at the table. Nobody does it better than the NECA/IBEW team.”
The next time you have the chance to catch a Las Vegas Raiders game, whether it be in person or on television, know that the foundation that it was built upon, the NECA/IBEW Powering America Team was responsible for it.