Affiliated members of Local 50 and other Central Ohio trades members completed work on the new Columbus Crew soccer stadium in time for the Crew’s first home match on July 3.
The new stadium, named Lower.com Field, was part of an incentive plan to keep the team from moving to Austin, Texas. In 2019, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam purchased the Crew, just weeks after the City of Columbus approved plans for a new stadium.
The old stadium, MAPFRE, was located miles away from downtown and its location caused some fans to feel disconnected from the city.
Despite being slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the region’s union construction trades members got the job done on time.
Crews worked challenging shifts in order to complete the stadium on time.
Work on the $313.9 million Lower.com Field created about 500 construction jobs. For members of Local 50, their work included Firestop and providing Mechanical Insulation to the stadium’s mechanical systems.
Thanks to the work of the area’s union construction workers, the Crew played their first home match in front of a sellout crowd of 20,300 fans. Unfortunately, the inaugural game at Lower.com Field ended in a 2-2 draw between the Crew and the New England Revolution.