The NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and Aspiration, a financial services company focused on green initiatives, held a groundbreaking for the Intuit Dome, their new arena.
Additionally, the two companies formed a 23-year partnership to focus on environmental values and implement new options for fans to participate in sustainability initiatives. For example, the Planet Protection Fund, created out of the partnership, will allow fans to offset their carbon footprint when they purchase a ticket.
The new privately financed Intuit Dome, which is located in Inglewood, California, right across the street from the existing Staples Center, will cost a whopping $1.8 million to complete. The Intuit Dome will be adjacent to the completed SoFi Stadium.
To use the Intuit name, the Clippers joined forces with the company known for creating QuickBooks and TurboTax.
A Project Centered on Sustainability
The ultimate goal of the Intuit Dome construction is to create a technologically advanced, sustainable arena for sports fans to enjoy. It's worth mentioning that Aspiration is a company dedicated to combating the climate crisis and employs practices that engage the surrounding community to act more sustainably.
Aspiration will focus on sustainability initiatives to operate the Intuit Dome 100% carbon-free. The new arena will follow in the footsteps of the Climate Pledge Arena located in Seattle, Washington, which is home to the latest NHL team, the Seattle Kraken.
The stadium will be naturally ventilated and fully electric, in addition to having no net greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainability efforts have ramped up in the past few years, as the effects of climate change are becoming more prevalent. For example, more city dwellers are adopting greener methods of transportation, such as e-bikes. Some governments even offer incentives for people switching to greener transportation.
Features of the Intuit Dome
The Intuit Dome will be far from a traditional arena — it will feature advanced technology and adopt design elements typically seen in football, soccer, and baseball stadiums.
Here are some of the key features of the new Intuit Dome, which will seat 18,000 fans:
* Behind one basket is "The Wall" — a dedicated fan section of 51 rows (4,700 seats) of seating. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer hopes it will become a "wall of sound."
* A double-sided oval-shaped scoreboard will hang over the entirety of the court and will feature 44,000 square feet of LED lights.
* There will be 640 touchless restroom fixtures with low-flow fixtures using reclaimed water.
* Concessions will feature grab-and-go shopping with no checkout lines.
* An 80,000 square foot outdoor plaza will feature bars, a team store, restaurants, and a regulation-sized basketball court used by youth leagues and AAU teams.
* 199 game clocks are located around the stadium so fans can easily see the score while they're away from their seats.
* Seats will be 20 inches wide, and each row will be 35 inches deep for ultimate fan comfort.
* A new practice facility will include 86,000 square feet of training, two practice courts, an outdoor pool, and medical and player spaces.
The Intuit Dome will likely garner the attention of NBA fans worldwide. These features were implemented with sustainability in mind due to the partnership between the Clippers and Aspiration.
Additionally, the Clippers plan on selling 60 suites, including 10 backstage bungalows and four court-side cabanas. Long-term rentals will also be available. Clippers chief ticketing officer Jason Green expects to sell them all fairly quickly.
General Perception of the New Intuit Dome
Every new construction project comes with its fair share of criticism. Some believe the environmentally centered initiatives take away from the sport itself and that teams shouldn't delve into a hot-button issue like climate change.
It's also been reported that the Clippers are doing more harm than good for Inglewood residents and the Aspiration partnership is just for show. While there's no clear answer for this criticism, it's certainly worth noting.
Ballmer is thrilled to be opening up this arena and is optimistic that it will positively impact the team's performance, something any owner cares deeply about.
Intuit Dome Opening For the 2024-2025 NBA Season
NBA and Clippers fans will certainly anticipate the Intuit Dome's reveal, as it will be a major fixture in the Inglewood region. The dome is expected to be completed for the 2024-2025 NBA season.
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