Toyota Park

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This article is about the soccer stadium near Chicago, Illinois. For the two soccer stadiums in Texas see Toyota Stadium and Toyota Field. For other uses, see Toyota Park (disambiguation).
Toyota Park
300px
Toyota Park Home of Chicago Fire.JPG
Former names Bridgeview Stadium
Location 7000 South Harlem Avenue
Bridgeview, Illinois 60455
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Owner Village of Bridgeview
Operator Andell Holdings
Capacity Soccer: 20,000[1]
Concerts: 28,000
Field size 120 x 75 yards
Surface Kentucky Bluegrass[citation needed]
Construction
Broke ground November 30, 2004
Opened June 11, 2006
Construction cost $98 million
($115 million in 2024 dollars[2])
Architect Rossetti Architects
Project manager ICON Venue Group[3]
Structural engineer John A. Martin & Associates[4]
Services engineer A. Epstein & Sons International[4]
General contractor Turner Construction[3]
Tenants
Chicago Fire (MLS) (2006–present)
Chicago Machine (MLL) (2007–2009)
Chicago Red Stars (WPS, NWSL) (2009–2010, 2016–present)
Chicago Bliss (LFL) (2011–2012, 2015–present)
Roosevelt University Lakers men's and women's soccer (NAIA)
Northwestern Wildcats men's and women's soccer (NCAA) (2015)

Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest from downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer (MLS), the Chicago Red Stars[5] of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and the Chicago Bliss of the Legends Football League (LFL). Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006. It also previously hosted the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse. The Red Stars also played at the park while members of Women's Professional Soccer. The stadium's capacity is 20,000.[6]

Stadium

Toyota Park in March 2013

Designed to incorporate traditional stadium features from both American and European facilities, Toyota Park includes mostly covered seating, a brick facade and stone entry archway, and first rows that are less than three yards from the field. It also includes 42 executive suites, 6 larger party suites, the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame, and the Fire club offices as well as a large stadium club/banquet room measuring over 9,000 square feet (840 m2).

A practice facility with two fields (one natural grass, one artificial turf) for the Fire club and its youth programs is adjacent to the stadium. The stadium's design is expandable to 30,000 seats without great cost for future growth. The natural grass stadium field includes a $1.7 million turf management system including full heating, drainage, and aeration capabilities and measures 120 yards (110 m) long by 75 yards (69 m) wide.

A permanent stage was incorporated into the stadium design to not only facilitate hosting concerts but also to be able to quickly change from stage configuration to soccer configuration and vice versa. A typical conversion takes less than 18 hours to complete, and an additional 8,000 chairback seats can be accommodated on the field for concerts and other stage events.

In 2006, Toyota announced that it had entered into a 10-year naming rights agreement and the stadium was renamed Toyota Park.[7]

The concert stage at Toyota Park, as seen during the 2010 B96 Pepsi Summer Bash

Major soccer events

On September 10, 2008 the stadium hosted a 2010 World Cup qualifying match between USA and Trinidad and Tobago resulting in a 3–0 victory for the US team.[8] On November 27, 2010, Toyota Park was the venue for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification match between USA and Italy; USA defeated Italy 1–0 and advanced to the World Cup.[9][10]

Toyota Park was the venue for the 2006 MLS All-Star Game in which the MLS side defeated Chelsea F.C. 1–0.[11]

The stadium also hosted the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup's final in which Chicago Fire defeated Los Angeles Galaxy 3–1.[12]

Toyota Park hosts annual friendly matches between Chicago Fire and the popular European and Mexican clubs, which in the past included A.C. Milan, Everton, C.D. Guadalajara, Club America, Santos Laguna and others.

Toyota Park hosted four matches during the group stage of the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship.

Other sports events

Toyota Park hosted its first international rugby match in 2006, United States vs Munster. In June 2008 the stadium hosted three matches of the Churchill Cup, including United States v. Canada, England v. Scotland, and Ireland v. Argentina. On June 6, 2009 the stadium hosted a 2009 mid-year rugby test series match between United States and Wales in a warmup match for the USA in its campaign to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[13] Toyota Park also serves as the home site for Roosevelt University men's and women's soccer matches.[14]

Music events

Since 2006,[15] Toyota Park has been the host venue for Chicago radio station B96's annual summer concert, The B96 Pepsi Summer Bash.[16] The Crossroads Guitar Festival was held here on July 28, 2007 and again on June 26, 2010. A new three day, all-electronic music festival, Future Sound Dance Music Festival, will be hosted at Toyota Park from May 24–26, 2013.

Accessibility

Pace operates the #387 Toyota Park Express nonstop from the Midway Orange Line Station for Chicago Fire matches and special events.[17]

Chicago Fire provides luxury bus transportation from five different bar locations in the city to and from the games.[18]

Panoramic view of Toyota Park on June 8, 2013 during the MLS regular season match between Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers. Downtown Chicago is visible on the horizon on the left.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 1634 to 1699: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1700-1799: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1800–present: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://www.worldofstadiums.com/north-america/united-states/illinois/toyota-park/
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Preceded by Home of
Chicago Fire
2006 – present		 Succeeded by
current home
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