Here at Lopez Quality Construction, most of our days are spent on kitchens, bathrooms, decks, windows, and full home renovations — not 70,000-seat arenas. But we’re builders at heart, and we can’t help but pay attention when the country’s biggest construction projects hit the news. This year, six major stadium and arena builds are moving forward across the U.S., representing tens of billions of dollars in new construction.
We wanted to break down what’s happening in these massive projects — and, more importantly, what the same principles look like when they’re applied to a project the size of your kitchen instead of the size of an NFL franchise.
The Six Projects Worth Watching
1. Huntington Bank Stadium — Brook Park, OH ($2.4 billion) The Cleveland Browns are relocating to a new domed, 67,500-seat stadium designed to host events their current lakefront venue can’t, including a future Super Bowl. It’s being built with what’s expected to be the largest concourse in the NFL.
2. New South Philadelphia Arena — South Philadelphia, PA ($1.5 billion) The Flyers and 76ers are moving out of separate facilities and into one shared $1.5 billion arena inside the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, with an opening targeted for 2030.
3. EverBank Stadium — Jacksonville, FL ($1.4 billion) The Jaguars’ home stadium is undergoing a major transformation: capacity is growing from roughly 63,000 to 70,000 seats, and the entire structure is being enclosed under a canopy engineered to significantly cut heat exposure for fans. Completion is targeted for 2028.
4. Continental Coliseum — Oklahoma City, OK ($900 million) Oklahoma City voters approved a dedicated sales tax to fund this new home for the Thunder, a 750,000-square-foot arena built around a 360-degree glass exterior and an in-house fan zone. It’s expected to be finished by late summer 2028.
5. Chicago Fire FC Stadium at The 78 — Chicago, IL ($650 million) Chicago’s first soccer-specific stadium in three decades is anchoring a much larger riverfront development in the South Loop, and is expected to bring thousands of construction jobs to the area once work ramps up toward the 2028 MLS season.
6. Chicago Bears Stadium — Hammond, IN (cost still TBD) After years of speculation, the Bears announced a move from Illinois to a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, backed by a newly formed state authority. Design and final costs are still being worked out.
What a $2 Billion Stadium and a Kitchen Remodel Actually Have in Common
It’s easy to look at numbers like these and assume none of it applies to a home project. In practice, the same fundamentals that make a stadium project succeed are exactly what make a remodel succeed — just at a different scale.
The materials have to hold up under real use. A stadium canopy engineered to cut heat exposure only works if it’s built with the right materials, installed correctly. The same logic applies to the windows, siding, and decking we install every day — it’s why we don’t cut corners on materials just to save a little on the front end.
The budget has to be honest from day one. Big public arenas go through years of financial planning before a shovel ever hits the ground, because surprises later are far more expensive than getting the numbers right up front. We apply the same principle with every estimate we give: transparent, itemized, and free of hidden costs.
Timelines matter as much as the finished product. Several of the stadiums on this list are being built in phases specifically so teams can keep playing while construction continues around them. Homeowners deal with a version of that same challenge — living in a house during a renovation — which is why we plan every project around minimizing disruption to your daily life, not just hitting a finish date.
The team you hire is the whole project. A $2.4 billion stadium doesn’t get built by a crew that shows up without a plan. Neither does a bathroom remodel that actually lasts. Whether the project is a new NFL dome or a new deck in your backyard, the outcome comes down to who’s holding the tools — which is exactly why we stay licensed, insured, and hands-on from the first estimate to the final walkthrough.
Big or Small, It’s the Same Standard
We may not be pouring the foundation for the next NFL stadium, but we bring the same mindset to every kitchen, bathroom, deck, and home renovation we take on: quality materials, honest pricing, and a team that shows up and finishes what it starts.
Planning a remodel of your own? Let’s talk about what «built right» looks like for your home.
Call us or get in touch to schedule your free estimate.
