Dolphins Stadium renovations take major jump today
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins will be holding their collective breath, more likely CEO Tom Garfinkel and owner Stephen Ross as today’s construction plans call for the hardest installation thus far at the Dolphins stadium.
Today marks the day that the stadium renovations begin on putting the major trusses in place that will hold the canopy. The four corners have been installed as have the massive video boards but the trusses remain the largest obstacle.
CEO Tom Garfinkel hosted members of the local media on an update tour. He had this to say regarding todays plans via the Miami Herald.
"“We’re through, hopefully, some of the more complex part of the projects — the corners, getting all the steel that’s constructed off-site here,” said Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel. “In the world of things that could go wrong, we’re through a lot of that and we’re still on schedule. As we get closer and closer, hopefully we get more and more certain — unless things change.”"
Today will indeed, should weather hold well for the crews, be the first major step towards the completion of Phase 3. Many still do not believe that the progress will be completed prior to the Dolphins home opening pre-season game on September 1st.
With the trusses now being placed on top of the stadium, the construction crews which boast 400 strong each day and night, will find the next two months to be much easier, as easy as it can be to put a canopy on an open air stadium.
The canopy will cover over 90% of the fans in the stadium and will keep the fans shaded during the hot Florida Sunday’s. It will also protect most of the fans from rain and should provide a redirection for loud cheering from the stands back towards the field.
The Dolphins have openly said they are over budget on the construction and Stephen Ross is paying for those overruns out of pocket, an investment that started at $450 million of his own money. While construction continues the next stadium element will be the name that will be applied to the side.
The Dolphins are negotiating a new stadium naming partner and the conclusion of those negotiations should come soon.