To revamp LA Coliseum, team of 500

workSome 20 500 hours tradesmen area day,on site from6 days 5 a.m. to a1 a.m. week to get it all done by game day Aug. 1.

This rendering shows what Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will look like when renovations are completed in August. Rendering courtesy of USC

By Kevin Smith | February 7, 2019

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DEADLINE TO KEEP we’re working six days a week,” said Brian boxes, club seats, a new concourse and things moving. Grant, the coliseum’s associate director of a new press box. It’s certainly become an incentive for the facilities and project management. “We’ve Additional improvements will update masons, ironworkers, painters, electricians, pretty much broken it into two shifts. the facility’s Wi-Fi technology, increase plumbers and other skilled tradesmen who We’re working from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.” the number of concession stands, upgrade are working to complete renovations to entry concourses, install new field and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They’re Lots of improvements stadium lighting, add large video screens scrambling to get the work done by Aug. The upgrades are extensive. They include and replace the iconic venue’s aging 1 so the revamped venue will be ready replacing every seat, adding aisles and a electrical, mechanical and plumbing for Rams and Trojans games. new seven-story structure on the coliseum’s systems to meet current standards. “We’ve got lots of workers out here, and south side to accommodate suites, loge The Los Angeles Rams and USC Trojans have both been able to play on the field hour and more for seasoned professionals. while work is underway. “We have about 50 percent of the work completed,” she said. “The rain delayed Costs have risen things, so that meant that folks had to Funding for the renovation is coming double up to make up ground because from coliseum naming rights, gifts and we have a very hard stop date.” donations. United Airlines won the 16- year naming rights deal, so beginning in Bragging rights August the stadium will be known as An agreement with Los Angeles County United Airlines Memorial Coliseum. The allowed the company to hire a broad price tag for the project, initially $270 spectrum of workers, Oyie said, including million, has since risen to $317 million. people with criminal backgrounds and “The additional scope of work brought military veterans. us to that number,” Grant said. “We’re “We reached out to community-based adding more things to the outside of the organizations and unions to ensure that building as well as an antenna system to local residents who wanted to work on some of the outlying areas. We’re also the coliseum had that opportunity,” she A carpenter works on upgrades at Los investigating options for an internet-based Angeles Memorial Coliseum. More than 1,700 said. “Everyone wants to work on the TV distribution system, and we’re going subcontractors have worked on the project coliseum. They want to be able to look to improve the gate entry system so it’s since it began in early 2018. Photo courtesy of back and tell people, ‘I had something more automated. That will increase the Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co. to do with that,’ even if they just carried speed for patrons coming in. We’ve done water or picked up trash.” some additional fundraising for this.” Danny Garcia, vice chairman for Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Most are local hires union, Local 4 agreed. Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co. is “It’s a good project for our company serving as lead contractor for the massive because they are using local hires, so we overhaul. can get some of our apprentices going,” he “We’ve had 1,765 people working on said. “The coliseum is an exciting project this project since we started on Jan. 2 to be working on.” of last year,” said Theodora Oyie, the Grant said the work is on track, despite company’s senior manager of community the recent rains. engagement. “Right now we have about “Most of the roof has been finished, 500 workers each day out there and nearly so on rainy days our guys get a little all of them are subcontractors.” tighter with their work areas,” he said. Oyie said 70 percent of the workers “We would prefer that the rain came more her company hired are from Los Angeles Electricians work in an outside area that has intermittently instead of dumping all at County. Their wages range from $18 an been prepped for new concrete at Los Angeles once … but we still welcome it because hour for starting positions to $71 an Memorial Coliseum. Photo courtesy of USC of the long drought we’ve had.”