Houston Dynamo FC are planning major upgrades to PNC Stadium that’ll be ready for the 2023 MLS season, the club announced Wednesday.
They include all-new mesh seating throughout the venue that’ll be up to 30 degrees cooler than traditional stadium seats. Also, a portion of PNC Stadium’s east side will be reconfigured to create a new air-conditioned, premium all-inclusive area called the East Club.
These updates come under majority owner Ted Segal, who took over Houston in June 2021. They'll begin immediately after the 2022 MLS and NWSL seasons both conclude. Sister-side Houston Dash also compete at PNC Stadium.
“As I have said since my first day, one of our biggest priorities is to enhance the game-day experience for our supporters,” Segal said in a release. “These improvements to PNC Stadium will allow us to improve the experience for every person who walks through our gates, draw more fans to the stadium and in turn give our players a stronger home-field advantage. This project will also make our facility a more active and engaged community asset that serves as a more attractive destination for additional soccer and non-soccer events.”
The project represents the second stage of improvements to PNC Stadium under Segal’s leadership. Shortly after he assumed stewardship of the club, plans were announced to convert the Supporters Section on the north end of the stadium into a Safe Standing area, and the south end of the stadium was reconfigured into a pair of all-inclusive premium seating areas branded as the Shell Energy Sports Deck and the Pitch Zone.
The changes come amid increased investments in the Dynamo's first team, with Paraguayan international forward Sebastian Ferreira and Mexican international midfielder Hector Herrera arriving as Designated Players in recent transfer windows. The club has also expanded their backroom staff and added MLS NEXT Pro side Houston Dynamo 2.
PNC Stadium opened in May 2012 and seats 22,000 fans. It was the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city’s downtown district.
