FC Dallas officials hope to reopen the stadium’s east side in 2026, soon after the FIFA World Cup. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028.
FRISCO, Texas — Workers began deconstructing a portion of Toyota Stadium Wednesday, kicking off $182 million renovations to the 20-year-old facility.
The project will expand seating capacity from 19,000 to about 22,000. Crews will tear down and reconstruct the existing structure that houses the press box and luxury suites.
Perhaps most significant, a specially-designed canopy will shade the entire stadium from the sun.
“The number-one motivation is fan experience,” FC Dallas COO Jimmy Smith told WFAA.
FC Dallas hosted a “kickoff” party to commemorate the groundbreaking Wednesday.
The renovated stadium will include 57 luxury boxes, more than double the current total. Fans can select from five different suite sizes, allowing them to sit in a box that best accommodates their party’s size.
Each suite will feature a fully-indoor section with kitchen amenities, a covered porch and fully outdoor seating. The three-story structure on the stadium’s west side will also host a common area for suite-holders, complete with an updated bar.
Those who purchase suites early will also have some say over their box’s decoration.
Smith acknowledged FC Dallas is renovating, in part, to keep up with the Joneses. He said sports fans attending events at Toyota Stadium also watch games at AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and the American Airlines Center.
“We have an elevated fan experience in the city and our sports fans have gotten accustomed to that,” Smith said.
Built in 2005, Toyota Stadium is now among Dallas-Fort Worth’s oldest pro sports venues and only open-air facility.
Toyota Stadium’s southern end, updated in 2018 to host the National Soccer Hall of Fame, will remain mostly unchanged. Crews will add about 2,000 seats to the north side, along with retractable stands so the facility can preserve its concert stage but maximize capacity for sporting events.
“You have to think of everything,” Smith said. “We are a soccer-specific stadium, but I think we’ve got this obligation to the city – because this is a public-private partnership – to program as many events as possible.”
Smith noted that the facility’s press box was built in 2005, when the MLS was still an up-and-coming league. The sport has since outgrown Toyota Stadium’s media quarters, which resembles many high school football press boxes.
“It’s nowhere near what we need, which is a good thing,” Smith said, making reference to the MLS’s growth.
Broadcasters will be able to see the entire field from the new press box, which will be housed between suites in the three-story facility on the stadium’s west side.
The stadium will also boast the MLS’ largest video board.
Officials hope to finish the east side renovations by 2026, soon after the FIFA World Cup.
“What we want to do is capture that sports fan who saw the excitement of the World Cup,” Smith said. “Now, we’re giving them a place to continue that excitement.”
The stadium will remain open during construction, including for World Cup events. FC Dallas officials expect the venue to serve as a “base camp” for a national team during the cup.
Crews are slated to complete the renovations in 2028.
