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HOK, USL Excited for Partnership’s Future

By usl admin, 12/11/15, 10:15AM EST

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By NICHOLAS MURRAY – nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com
Friday, December 11, 2015

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. – To hear HOK’s Chris DeVolder tell it, the inspiration for the latest trend in stadium and venue construction came from the past.

In history, as seen in the traditional stadiums that have stood the test of time in both North America and around the world, the stadium was a tent-post for the city. Now, HOK and others like it have begun to bring that concept back in the venues it is currently constructing with teams around the world, and will in the future through its new partnership with the USL.

“It’s not a new idea,” DeVolder said at the USL Winter Summit this week. “It’s really just how do we reimagine that for the 21st century, and we absolutely have a lot of experience in working on those projects. Atlanta is a good example, Seattle as well; we’ve probably got five or six projects that are now built out, or are in the planning and construction process coming back into the core, and what we’re really seeing is as those projects are happening, there’s a lot of development happening around those projects that we’re not even involved with.

“Because of where they are in the core, there’s transportation upgrades, there’s housing, there’s retail, and it’s all being done at a level of high efficiency when you start to think about sustainability, and developing density in the core downtown. These projects really are a catalyst for the rest of the development.”

The USL announced its partnership with HOK in May this year, with the goal of placing all of the league’s current and future clubs in soccer-specific stadiums by the end of the year. After a productive seminar on Wednesday at the USL Winter Summit, USL President Jake Edwards reiterated his happiness at the deal struck by the league with the world-class architecture firm.

“This is an ambitious project, and we have to bring in and work with the very best partners,” Edwards said. “People that really appreciate what we’re trying to do here across the United States and Canada appreciate the size of the goals that we’ve got – which are big – and are going to be great partners in addition to bringing their world-class expertise.

“HOK are as good as they come. Their sports division, these are world-class guys who are building some of the best stadiums not just in North America, but across the world, so they bring an expertise and an enthusiasm to this project that you couldn’t match. It was a no-brainer to work with these guys, and they’re very committed to us and this project.”

Atlanta United FC's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, designed by HOK ahead of its 2017 entry to MLS

DeVolder and his team at HOK are currently in the process of devising new guidelines for USL stadiums moving forward, including incorporating new technology and the requirements for the league’s new broadcast initiative. The company is also creating a prototype 10,000-seat USL stadium, which would be scalable for those clubs that wished to utilize it. A soccer fan himself, DeVolder is excited by the prospect of what lies ahead after Wednesday’s seminar.

“People were asking a lot of questions that are clear to me they’re really looking into it,” DeVolder said. “It’s not just ‘what ifs?’ They’re actually starting to think about it. Even this afternoon we’ve had conversations with a couple of clubs that are looking to create master plans, which is where you’ve really got to start. Even at an NFL level, you’re not just going to build it all out Day 1. It’s always about ‘what’s the plan for five years, 10 years?’, and we’re having these conversations with USL clubs.”

With the USL now at a point where it can be far more selective of the ownership groups it considers for membership in the league, Edwards said that one of the keys for future expansion clubs will be a strong stadium plan. Even now, as the league talks with groups that may wish to become members of the league as far away as 2019, the stadium question is one that is consistently raised.

“It’s critical that the stadium becomes a catalyst of regenerations and rejuvenation in certain parts of a city that might need it,” Edwards said. “We’ve seen that across the board, both in minor league baseball and in soccer, how a stadium can transform part of an urban core that needs it, and will lead to all that other development of infrastructure, and so it’s critical that that team has a permanent home, a visible home in that community.

“It’s not a tenant in a building. They are in control of that venue, can brand and dress that venue and can control the revenue streams with that venue, and operate that venue for other events outside the game. That’s huge. That’s critical. That’s when we start to reach a tipping point here.”

For DeVolder, the prospect of what lies ahead in the partnership between HOK and the USL is an exciting one.

“Looking ahead five years, I think the sky’s the limit,” DeVolder said. “The idea of not just having the ability to help with the facility, but to help with the development and thinking about projects outside these four walls. Is there something we can do to help these clubs with not just their stadium, but their offices, their training facility, and if they’re thinking about doing some retail development as a bigger development, I’d like to think that in five years we’re ingrained in a lot of those projects.”