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Next 50 Plan
The key to the Next 50 plan is improving the fan experience. After nearly 50 years of baseball history and 176 million fans passing through the turnstiles, it is time to give Dodger fans the best a ballpark can offer. Dodger Stadium will become more accessible, attractive and inviting, not just during games, but before and after games, on non-game days and during the off-season.
Dodger Stadium will become a year-round destination, where fans can enjoy the beauty and romance of the ballpark, shop for authentic team gear, eat at themed restaurants and take part in the Dodger Experience, an interactive museum that takes you through history with the Dodgers. By providing all of the amenities of modern-day ballparks, Dodger Stadium will be a place that fans will want to come early and stay late - thus reducing traffic congestion before and after games. Most of all, with the completion of the plan, Dodger Stadium will be preserved as a place where the diversity that is Los Angeles can enjoy America's great pastime for the next 50 years.
Learn more about the history of Dodger Stadium.
 Dodger Stadium: The Next 50 Years
One of Southern California's most treasured venues is about to get even better. After nearly five decades serving as one of baseball's grandest parks, Dodger Stadium will soon be ready for the next 50 years. The Next 50 plan will celebrate the history of this iconic site, while at the same time providing modern amenities, environmental features and a stronger connection to the heart of Los Angeles.
Designed by a team led by renowned architecture and urban planning firms Johnson Fain and HKS, the Dodger Stadium plan features three components that together will enhance the fan experience:
- Dodger Way - A dramatic, new tree-lined entrance will lead to a beautifully landscaped grand plaza where fans can gather beyond center field. The plaza will connect to a modern, bustling promenade that features restaurants, shops and the Dodger Experience museum showcasing the history of the Dodgers in an interactive setting.
- Green Necklace - The vibrant street setting of Dodger Way links to a beautiful perimeter around Dodger Stadium, enabling fans to walk around the park, outdoors yet inside the stadium gates. This Green Necklace will transform acres of parking lots into a landscaped outdoor walkway connecting the plaza and promenade to the rest of the ballpark.
- Top of the Park - The Green Necklace connects to a large scale outdoor plaza featuring breathtaking 360 degree views spanning the downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.
Dodger Stadium - Facts-at-a-Glance
Opened April 10, 1962
Open air stadium with grass surface
56,000 seating capacity
16-acre site within a 275-acre property
More than 176 million fans since 1962
Central to Downtown Los Angeles, the LA
River and Elysian Park, and the
neighborhoods of Echo Park and Chinatown
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Next 50 is intended to turn Dodger Stadium into a year-round destination, where fans can enjoy the beauty and romance of the ballpark, shop for authentic team gear, eat at themed restaurants and take part in the Dodger Experience. By providing all of the amenities of modern-day ballparks, Dodger Stadium will be a place where fans will want to come early and stay late - thus reducing traffic congestion before and after games. Most of all, with the completion of the project, Dodger Stadium will be preserved as a place where the diversity that is Los Angeles can enjoy America's great pastime for the next 50 years.
This plan has significant environmental characteristics that reflect the Dodgers' commitment to green initiatives for Dodger Stadium. Keeping Dodger Stadium, and investing in it for the future, is the single most environmentally progressive act the organization can take. Tearing down the stadium and building a new one would require an enormous amount of new raw materials and generate significant amounts of unnecessary waste. The new construction will meet Silver LEED standards and within the existing stadium, the Dodgers are implementing sustainable measures that will lower energy use, conserve millions of gallons of water and promote recycling. We are committed to increasing public transit options and to planting nearly 2,000 trees on site.
Modern operational enhancements to the Stadium include:
- New warehouse storage and reconfigured concession facilities beneath Dodger Way, for food preparation and distribution to serve fans more quickly
- Storage facilities for a wide array of souvenir items bearing the Dodgers name
- A central ticketing facility and lounge area
- Two new terraced and landscaped structures on either side of the stadium, as well as subterranean parking, to ensure no decrease in total parking
- Facilities for Dodger-related activities including work areas and office space for onsite security personnel, Dodger operational staff and the Dodger Dream Foundation
 More Reasons to Love Dodger Stadium: A Home Run for Fans
The key to the Dodger Stadium Next 50 plan is improving the fan experience. After nearly five decades of baseball history and 176 million fans passing through the turnstiles, it is time to give Dodger fans more of the best modern amenities a ballpark can offer. The project is designed to make Dodger Stadium more accessible, attractive and inviting, not just during games, but before and after games, on non-game days and during the off-season.
A Grand Welcome: The New Fan Experience
A dramatic new entrance to center field will welcome fans through the stadium's new front door. A view enjoyed only by centerfielders for 50 years will soon be available to all visitors. Fans will walk through the entrance into a grand new landscaped plaza where they can meet their favorite Dodger heroes or shag home run balls during batting practice. The plaza will include a streamlined ticketing and lounge area to replace the existing ticket kiosks.
A Ballpark for Every Day, All Year Long
Game day or not, on-season or off, the vibrant street life of Dodger Way will welcome fans all year long. Dotted with shops, restaurants and an interactive museum, this new area makes Dodger Stadium a more fun and accessible place - a destination for all of Los Angeles. Fans can enjoy the beauty and romance of the iconic venue, soak up the views, stroll and pick up a new souvenir. Friends can get a bite or visit the sports lounge for nachos and watch the pre-game television party, and families can enjoy a Dodger Dog or another classic baseball treat. Or, they can visit the Dodger Experience and be taken through history with the ballclub.
Enjoy the Entire Ballpark
Fans can access their seats via the Green Necklace, a landscaped outdoor pathway that creates a beautiful perimeter to access concessions, relax in seating areas and enjoy winding paseos. No longer will fans be prohibited from walking around the park - parents can stretch their legs and let their children do the same.
Included in the Green Necklace is the Top of the Park, a new outdoor deck where on a clear day, guests will appreciate the spectacular 360 degree views spanning the downtown skyline and Santa Monica Bay, the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Dodger Stadium diamond.
Come Early and Stay Late
Next 50 encourages fans to come to the stadium early and stay after the game. With entertainment, shopping and dining options, as well as an abundance of landscaped outdoor space, the enhanced fan experience begins before the first pitch and continues after the final out.
Avoid Traffic
New parking structures, extended hours and exciting new entertainment options will help ease pre- and post-game traffic and parking congestion so that fans will be able to enjoy more time with their families and cheering their baseball heroes, and less time behind the wheel.
 Environmental Initiatives: Think Blue, Act Green!
With this new project, Dodger Stadium will be as environmentally responsible a professional sports stadium as there is in America. Keeping Dodger Stadium, and investing in it for the future, is the most environmentally progressive approach the organization can take.
The Dodger approach to protecting the environment combines sustainable design practices like recycling, conservation, energy efficiency and the use of quality, durable products - all while preserving the stadium and protecting its charm, and providing families with the new amenities of a modern ballpark.
Sustainable Development
Dodger Stadium will conserve water, promote recycling and create other sustainable initiatives. Key components include:
- Using the latest technologies to save millions of gallons of water each year. Dodger Stadium is the first professional baseball stadium in California to use waterless urinals.
- Implementing top-to-bottom recycling, including post-consumer waste recycling. The Dodgers are also committed to recycling the materials that will be removed throughout the building process.
- Including native or drought-resistant plants for landscaping and, where possible, using reclaimed water in the stadium's irrigation system.
- Using energy efficient bulbs in all stadium and scoreboard lighting, and installing energy efficient appliances in all kitchen and concession facilities to reduce energy consumption.
- Purchasing building materials and items used in concession kiosks that are made from recycled or quality, durable products.
Green Design for the 21st Century.
The Dodger Stadium Next 50 plan creates a landscaped series of linked gardens and plazas including new trees and plants, seating areas and paseos, making a walkable outdoor space all the way around the ballpark. This Green Necklace will connect the grand plaza behind center field to the Top of the Park, where a large deck will enable fans to look out over the downtown skyline. The number of trees at Dodger Stadium will increase 90 percent, while over 15 acres of existing asphalt will be replaced with landscaping, public plazas and pedestrian walkways.
The Green Necklace will also introduce new vegetation to the surrounding parking lots, which are currently paved with minimal landscaping. Approximately 1,400 trees will be located within the Stadium's inner road. In addition, nearly 600 trees will be located along the Stadium's access roads, bringing the total number of new trees in the Next 50 plan to 2,000. New energy efficient lighting features used in modern landscaping and streetscape improvements will also be used.
Transportation
By providing visitors to Dodger Stadium with good reasons to come early and stay late, traffic and parking should be significantly improved. The Dodger Stadium plan also encourages visitors to leave their cars behind and take public transportation. This project will make Dodger Stadium accessible by clean buses and nearby Metro lines, and the Dodgers are working with local and state agencies to secure these public transportation options.
Protecting and Enhancing the Environment
- Preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicles
- A welcoming environment for public transportation
- Secure spaces provided for bicycles
- Storm-water treatment and reduction
- Reduction of millions of gallons in water consumption
- Environmentally appropriate/water efficient landscaping
- Installing a chiller plant and energy efficient field lighting to reduce overall electrical consumption
- 2,000 new trees planted as part of the overall project
- Green/cool roofs throughout project, including potential use of photovoltaic cells
- Energy savings over baseline requirements
- Over 75% of indoor space with direct access to daylight and increased ventilation resulting in superior thermal comfort
- Building-wide "green" cleaning/janitorial program and separate trash and recycling chutes
- Environmentally friendly building materials and finishes
 Updating an American Classic: Why Improve Dodger Stadium
With almost four million fans visiting each year, Dodger Stadium is both beloved and well-attended. As a result, the stadium needs more space for the amenities that today's fans want and deserve. Nearly 50 years old, Dodger Stadium is bursting at the seams trying to accommodate the space requirements for new technology, more concession options, staff and storage for souvenir items.
In modern day baseball, many teams - from New York to San Diego - are building new stadiums. Even Yankee Stadium is being torn down and replaced. Shea Stadium, designed by the same engineer as Dodger Stadium, and which opened after Dodger Stadium, is slated for demolition next year. In the National League, only Wrigley Field has more years of service than Dodger Stadium.
Dodger Stadium was built for a different time, in a different era. It is little known that the Dodgers have played more games in Dodger Stadium than the Brooklyn team played in Ebbet's Field. Since 1962 alone, more than 125 million fans have come through the turnstiles.
Given the wear and tear, and the need to protect the Stadium for the next 50 years, it is critical to update Dodger Stadium before the serious effects of age set in. The Next 50 plan will address these needs with new office space, new kitchen facilities, new plumbing and new areas for food distribution to serve fans faster.
Dodger Stadium Circa 1962
Built in 1962, Dodger Stadium was considered modern - and it was. Along with the many distinctive architectural features, there was also a suburban-oriented design that centered on the automobile. As visitors drove to the stadium, they parked their cars and walked through a paved parking lot to the entrance closest to their seats.
The Next 50 plan removes acres of asphalt and brings the stadium into the modern era.
Among the items to be addressed:
- Updating the restroom facilities and plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems
- Expanding the amount of space for onsite security personnel, ticketing and other vendors
- Creating central warehouse and storage spaces
- Expanding the amount of space for facilities and areas needed to prepare food in a fast and convenient manner
Continuous Improvements
Over the past several years, the Dodgers have invested over $140 million for significant stadium improvements to create a better overall fan experience. These off-season modifications included the following:
- Replacing nearly all of the seats in the stadium bowl, which had been in use since the 1970s. The new seats have returned the stadium's interior to its original classic color scheme.
- Adding extensive new landscaped areas inside the gates and around the retail tents, with mature trees and hundreds of flowers and plants
- Replacing the field and upgrading the warning track from synthetic to organic material
- Converting the baseline seating sections into box-style seats, which added leg room and tables for fans
- Adding two new baseline clubs and a new Dugout Club with a bar/lounge, retail and dramatic entrance
- Attending to a number of additional deferred maintenance issues including making repairs to the concrete structure of the stadium and extensive waterproofing
- Transforming the concessions and restrooms in the Field Level concourse to alleviate congestion and long lines and improve working conditions for concession employees
- Adding new LED boards, including a programmable LED display system at the loge level, two new LED board at the field level and new, larger LED boards in the outfield
- Implementing a phased voluntary seismic upgrade program
- Installing a chiller plant and energy efficient field lighting to reduce overall electrical consumption
- Creating accessibility for clean buses and nearby Metro lines, and working with local and state agencies to secure these public transportation options
- Incorporating recycling bins, environmentally-friendly cleaning products and other operational improvements in support of Major League Baseball's initiative with the Natural Resources Defense Council
The Next 50 plan will continue these initial improvements by providing families and fans with the amenities of a modern ballpark and creating new places to eat, shop and experience Dodger history; new picnic areas; and a new outdoor deck to take in the breathtaking 360 degree views of downtown to the Santa Monica Bay.
 The Design Team: Enhancing the Dodger Fan Experience
Architecture
Johnson Fain is an international architecture and planning office based in Los Angeles and known for its creative approach to the design of buildings, building complexes and new communities. The firm has garnered many awards for design excellence for its high profile projects, including MGM Tower in Los Angeles, the prestigious Opus One winery in the Napa Valley and the master plan for the 300-acre Mission Bay project in San Francisco. Led by founding partners Scott Johnson, FAIA and William H. Fain, Jr., FAIA, the firm leads an overall design team that aims to preserve Dodger Stadium, respect the environment and improve the venue to make it even more attractive to the communities of Los Angeles.
The HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, ranked as one of the top sports and entertainment designers by BD World Architecture, has ushered in a new generation of multi-revenue-generating, world-class facilities. With $2 billion of sports projects underway including renovations at Dodger Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Liverpool FC Stadium, and Lucas Oil Stadium for the Indianapolis Colts, these venues are known for enhancing and leveraging team identity, delivering an exciting fan experience, and serving as destination environments. HKS Architects, Inc. is among the top-three architectural firms in the U.S., operating from 23 U.S. and worldwide offices.
Plazas and Greening Initiatives
Rios Clemente Hale Studios, a California Corporation, was founded in 1985 as a multidisciplinary design firm. The office of 51 individuals strive to create singular, integrated and comprehensive solutions for environmental design challenges within a creative studio environment. Combined, their talents comprise a wide range of professional skills including architecture, landscape architecture, graphic, interior, exhibit and product design. Project types range from corporate, retail and institutional, to municipal and residential commissions, with projects including the Los Angeles Music Center, Universal Studios, GeoCities and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Awards have included national and local AIA and ASLA awards, as well as recognition for graphics, interiors and furniture design.
Green Necklace and Landscape
Founded in 1974 by Jim Hogan, ASLA, HRP Studio, a part of the ValleyCrest Design Group, is a premier landscape architecture and planning firm serving the western united states and abroad. HRP Studio's sensitive and innovative design approach creates landscape environments that embody a memorable sense of place for living, working and recreating. The studio's legacy of highly successful projects includes Master Planned Communities, Destination Resorts, Lifestyle Entertainment Centers, Town Centers, Mixed use, Urban Infill and Multi-Family complexes. Notable projects include the Crystal Cove Master Planned Community in Newport Beach, the Valencia Town Center, Summerlin Centre in Las Vegas and the Newport Coast Marriott in Newport Coast.
Paul Comstock, ASLA, heads Comstock Studio, a landscape architecture and planning practice that is part of the Valley Crest Design Group. Formerly Director of Landscape Design for Walt Disney Imagineering, Comstock is one of the world's most renowned horticulture experts. His design influence spans the globe, reflecting a unique level of pan-geographic experience, natural artistry and cross-cultural creativity. Significant accomplishments include Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disneyland, the Los Angeles Arboretum and LACMA's Rodin Garden and Japanese Pavilion.
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