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Suffolk Construction Leads Gillette Stadium Upgrades

PATRIOTS from page 1

The stadium also is the home field for Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution.

Work began in January 2022, led by Boston-based Suffolk Construction, and included the demolition of the stadium’s iconic lighthouse, built next to a bridge, a reference to the seacoast imagery of New England.

The stadium’s renovations include a new, 22-story lighthouse with an observation deck giving fans a 360-degree view of the surrounding area that will operate year-round, not just on game day.

The Architect’s Newspaper reported July 12 that Patriots officials said visitors will be able to view both the Boston and Providence, R.I., skylines from the maritime-inspired structure.

Additionally, a revamped Enel Plaza, the stadium’s main entrance on its north end, will include an expanded grand staircase adjacent to the lighthouse.

Inside the revamped Gillette Stadium, work is well under way on the largest outdoor stadium video board in the country, according to the team. Measuring 370 ft. wide by 60 ft. high, the curved screen is more than five times as large as its predecessor.

Other improvements include the full connection of all concourse levels around the stadium — some levels previously only wrapped around part of the venue.

A new fan space covering a 2,000-sq.-ft. patio and 4,000-sq.-ft. interior space, the Bud Light Celebration Beer Hall, is designed to give fans a field-level view of players as they walk from a tunnel into the stadium.

Changes to the north end will mitigate some wind from entering the stadium, but without a roof, fans will be far from weatherproofed.

However, hearty Patriots’ fans have come to rely on frigid, wintry weather to give the team an advantage over most of its opponents from warmer climes.

All improvements to Gillette Stadium are on-track to open for the Patriots’ first game of the 2023 NFL season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10. 

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