Superdome renovations expected to take another year to complete

[Gumbo]

Getty Images

The makeover efforts for the Superdome in New Orleans are expected to take an extra year to complete due to budgetary shortfalls sustained over the last year, according to Amie Just of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District lost $75 million in revenue last year, per ASM Global business operations director Evan Holmes. The shortfall comes from the cancellation of events over the last year.

The current phase of the renovation project is still expected to be completed before the start of the upcoming season. However, some items that were originally a part of this phase of construction were amended to deal with the revenue shortfalls. One issue for the upcoming year will be a reduction in seating by approximately 4,300 seats as part of the current project.

Holmes said that he was “cautiously optimistic” the full project would be fully completed prior to the stadium hosting their next Super Bowl in February 2025. The hosting duties of New Orleans being pushed back a year from 2024 to 2025 in order to avoid a conflict with Mardi Gras will ultimately give the site an extra year to complete all the renovations as well.

“That gives us an extra year, which gives us a little bit more runway so to speak to get all the work done,” Holmes said. “But by no means do we plan to not do the full scope of the work.”