The New Orleans Saints, the state of Louisiana and SMG are all working on a plan to renovate and extend the life of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, according to reports by NOLA.com and The Advocate.
The Superdome, which became the home of the Saints when it opened in 1975, has been extensively renovated since 2005 when it was severely damaged by the winds and flood waters of Hurricane Katrina but team, state and SMG leaders said they want to start planning now to keep the building on the cutting edge. SMG manages the facility for the state of Louisiana.
"The whole idea of this was not to wait until the last minute," Saints President Dennis Lauscha told NOLA.com. "If we're going to do this, let's start now. This project is about trying to get the stadium to the next generation of fans and make it fun for them, as well."
Gensler Sports of San Francisco was given a $422,000 contract to study the issue at the last LSED meeting on May 18, NOLA.com reported.
The Superdome was last renovated in 2016 season when a pair of 300-by-35-foot video boards were added above each end zone. Saints Owner Tom Benson covered $25 million of the $39.5 million in renovation costs.
