Billionaire Playbook: Build Teams, Then Cities for Total Fan Immersion

A sports team is more than players on a field, it can be what builds a community—particularly when billionaire Stanley Kroenke is involved. Kroenke owns an eye-widening selection of top-tier sports teams, with Premier League side Arsenal Football Club and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams top of the list. Other clubs in the real estate billionaire’s portfolio include Colorado’s Avalanche ice hockey side, the Rapids soccer team and the Mammoth lacrosse team. Oh and the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. And Kroenke has a vision for the Rams, the 2021 Super Bowl champions, that promises to transform 21ha in an upscale neighbourhood into a destination where fans can truly “live and breathe” the sport. The Kroenke Organisation announced its plans for Rams Village in April, detailing how it would build a permanent headquarters and training facility for the National Football League team at Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley. But it’s what’s next to the training fields, indoor field and two performance venues that really made headlines—a mixed-use neighborhood designed by Gensler comprising residential, retail, office space, hotel, parkland and open space. ▲ A rendering of Rams Village that includes the Rams headquarters. Kroenke says that as the side embarks on its 10th season since returning to Los Angeles from St Louis, it is committed to shaping the future of the city. “Rams Village at Warner Center will continue to transform Woodland Hills by providing a vibrant gathering place for the community through publicly accessible open spaces, new entertainment venues, a retail village and residential offerings,” Kroenke says. “This is a tremendous opportunity to develop a dynamic destination and create the Rams permanent headquarters within the City of Los Angeles and we look forward to working with the city to turn this vision into a reality.” The village is part of the 40ha site the Kroenke Organisation acquired in 2022. It is to become the latest sports and entertainment destination developed by the Kroenke Organisation, joining its Hollywood Park at Inglewood California; the Ball Arena redevelopment in Denver, Colorado, and Midway Rising in San Diego, also in California. The biggest is the Hollywood Park urban mixed-use development centered around the SoFi Stadium, next to the YouTube Theatre. ▲ A rendering of the Ball Arena redevelopment around the home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth teams. The project is now under construction and includes 82,700sq m of retail plus office space, plazas and entertainment venues. Kroenke won approval in October for the 22ha commercial and residential district around the Ball Arena, the home of the Nuggets, Avalanche and Mammoth sides. And his Midway Rising draft masterplan was released in April to create a 16,000 seat entertainment centre and 4250 new homes at San Diego. However, Kroenke is not the only billionaire with big sports neighbourhoods in the works. Closer to home, Valarie “Larry” Kestelman of internet service provider Dodo fame, and owner of the National Basketball League Jack Jumpers, is working on a $500-million precinct in the Apple Isle. ▲ An early concept design by FK for the Tasmanian project. The mogul and property developer has inked a deal to buy 15ha of government-owned land at Wilkinsons Point, 10km north of the Hobart CBD. The plans include a 12-storey, 250-key hotel and 120 student apartments as well as a sports centre, basketball courts, waterfront dining and retail spaces at the MyState Bank Arena precinct. FK architects designed the project alongside landscape architects Oculus and planners Ireneinc. Meanwhile, the Cronulla Sharks $2.5-billion mixed-use transformation is nearing completion and comprises 898 homes across 13 buildings, an 18,000sq m retail centre, a 71-room hotel and public space. Capital Bluestone had delivered the first three stages designed by Turner before the developer was acquired by Chinese developer Aoyuan International in 2019 and later rebranded as Novm. ▲ The Cronulla precinct wraps around the Sharks’ stadium. The new clubhouse is under construction. It is indicative of a wider trend as more sports-anchored precincts of varying scales emerge here and overseas. Mode architecture firm managing principal Rhonan O’Brien says buildings don’t stand alone and there are many teams and clubhouses that could be considered for such developments. “It’s a bit like transport-orientated developments but it’s amenity-oriented developments,” O’Brien tells The Urban Developer . “So it’s not just a stadium but a building that accommodates a stadium, wellness centre and educational facility. “Somewhere like the home of the Queensland Reds rugby club could easily be that—Ballymore Stadium is in the heart of a village, it is really well located for building density around it.” Mode architects are working on a cricket stadium planned for Kolkata, India, with a private Indian-based consortium led by former Australian Cricket Coach John Buchanan, that also includes a masterplan to revitalise the region. It is also working on health and sports hubs for clients in Australia. ▲ A rendering of the cricket stadium project at Kolkata that includes a greater masterplan for the region. Mode director Max Weston says Golf Australia is already working on new strategies for income across its 1400-plus club portfolio and that the same was true for horse racing clubs nationally. “They can really offer more,” Weston says. “For the Rams, a big aspect is income-generating business. “People can move into a community, and live and breathe their team.” O’Brien says the next step is to maximise the usage so big stadiums and public amenity will be built to be used for more than just a few hours a day or even a week. The potential is there, he says. “What’s the best social, environmental, most economic and educational opportunities that we can dig out of this?” O’Brien says. “Look at all these flash stadiums they’re putting around ... I don’t see a solar panel on them.”

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