Caesars Superdome wraps up $560 million renovation ahead of Super Bowl LIX
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Taylor Swift might be bringing The Eras Tour to New Orleans later this fall, but if there's anything Caesars Superdome officials want you humming to yourself when you pass through its gates this season, it's The Chicks' "Wide Open Spaces."
Why it matters: The Superdome is at the end of its $560 million renovation ahead of hosting Super Bowl LIX.
The big picture: Fans have been reaping the benefits of some of those improvements as they've gotten finished since construction began in 2020.
- The complete renovation includes wider, open field viewing areas from the terraces, eight new ADA-compliant seating areas, 22 new elevators, two new, 40-yard-long, terrace-level bars, expanded grab-and-go dining options, atriums at various entrances, improved WiFi connectivity and widened walkways to make getting around to all the new dining areas easier.
- Players also get a swanky new $11 million locker room upgrade paid for by team owner Gayle Benson, team officials say.
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What he said: "This was a renovation for the people," play-by-play announcer Mike Hoss said Wednesday.
Follow the money: The full renovation was paid for by the Saints organization, state dollars and the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District.
Zoom in: Media were invited into the revamped Superdome on Wednesday and given an up close look at all the improvements, as well as tastes of some of the new food offerings, courtesy of Superdome chef Lenny Martinsen.
Dig in: Among the new items on the menu from Sodexo Live, the Superdome's food vendor: stuffed baked potatoes with topping options like turducken, a Parmesan cheese and crawfish cream sauce, or wild mushroom with vegan cheese.
- There's also a barbecue chicken sandwich served between two giant waffles.
- A chicken cordon bleu sandwich was my favorite for the day, however. A little different from your usual stadium sandwich, this one had a really gorgeous fry and nice slices of ham and Swiss cheese.
- New partnerships also create new menu items, including the appearance of Conecuh smoked sausage sandwiches, a new hand-breaded shrimp platter with Tony Chachere's and a Patron bar with "playmaker margaritas" for $17.99 each.
In the suites, guests will get new options like a pretzel board and a bagel board.
- A burnt ends brisket chili, which debuted for the Sugar Bowl earlier this year, will also become a football season mainstay for that area, Martinsen said.
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State of play: Media were invited to see only part of the locker room upgrade, but the impression was still pretty darn swanky.
- Complete with mood lighting, minimalist design in black and gold and a fleur de lis soaring overhead, former Saints placekicker Garrett Hartley said Wednesday that the space was perfect for getting in the right head space before a game, or celebrating after a win.
The bottom line: Superdome visitors are going to have an upgraded time inside the 50+-year-old venue, regardless of where they're sitting.
