Inside Ford Field’s $100M renovation

Since the end of the last football season, Ford Field has been busy working to make the fan experience better and update the field for bigger events. Specifically, they’re making it $100 million better. Renovations have been underway to add more club seats, renovate suites, spruce up the food options, and install a giant new scoreboard. Curbed toured the field this week to see what’s been happening inside.

The area is still very much under construction, but should be done on-time for preseason games. A few notable differences on the tour include the national broadcast booth, which passers-by will be able to see into; a new deck/outdoor patio area off the north side Comerica Gridiron Club; and updated suites throughout the stadium. The new Corner Bar will have a 90-foot long bar with a wall of TVs in a formerly unused space that overlooks, well, parking lots and the freeway. Fans will also have many local restaurants to choose from.

A point of pride (#onepride?) is the massive video board (there’s a lot of scoreboard measuring going on these days). The new ones on either end are 13 feet tall by 52 feet wide.

We also visited the Plante Moran Terrace suites—13 suites in total with eight seats each. There’s an all-inclusive package for these, and a private bar is located behind them. Glass exteriors keep it friendly.

The Comerica Suites (they have lots of naming rights here) are located right on the 50-yard line and have their own VIP entrance. You’ll see some historical references in the design of many of the suites and new areas. The seating capacity in the stadium is about the same as it was before; some was just reconfigured. When the season starts, fans will notice TVs pretty much everywhere so they can stay engaged with the game no matter where they are in the stadium. Also to note: playoff banners were taken down. Perhaps the team is raising their expectations. Here’s a look at what’s to come.