Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Owner/Architect/GC: Cavaliers Operating Company/VAA Architects/Whitin-Turner

Square Footage: 9,595sf

Schedule: June 2021 to October 2021

Rendering of the new family suites courtesy of ALSD.

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Monsters, is a sports and entertainment arena that the city can take pride in. Formerly known as Quicken Loans Arena until its renovation in 2019, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has continued to make updates during the basketball off-season to adapt the space to the needs of players, staff, performing artists, and most importantly, Cleveland fans.
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In the summer of 2021, the FieldHouse decided to renovate player family lounge areas and the West Bay in preparation for welcoming guests back after COVID restrictions were eased to allow large gatherings. Expanding the West Bay, affectionately known as Loudville, would provide more space for spectators to gather in an open area while mitigating overcrowding, and add additional concessions. Updated family areas for players' and coaches' families were also a thoughtful new amenity after a season without families or fans in the arena for support. The Cavaliers organization aimed to create a modern, sleek space that families would enjoy gathering in before, during, and after games.

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Next Generation Construction was the ideal partner to complete the family suites renovation and expansion of the West Bay due to their experience in delivering high-quality projects on schedule for the FieldHouse, willingness to collaborate with a team mentality, and commitment to health and safety for everyone involved in the project.

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EARNED EXPERIENCE ON THE JOB

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The Next Generation team and its individual members have over five years of experience working in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. When the Cavaliers decided to add new VIP family suites and expand the West Bay area near Loudville to accommodate more fans and concessions, completing the work in time for the start of the 2021-2022 season was crucial. Based on previous collaborations, the Cavaliers trusted that Next Gen could meet the tight timeline, even considering the unique restrictions due to COVID.

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The family suites incorporated unique architectural materials to achieve a sleek, modern design. Sourcing some of these materials was challenging due to long lead times, but the Next Gen team proactively collaborated with the Cavaliers to plan accordingly. Next Gen ordered materials in advance of the work start date and stored them to ensure availability when needed.

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TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK…AND THE SCHEDULE

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The West Bay expansion was architecturally complex, requiring the extension of the concrete slab over an open area to create a circular bar. This circular extension also created curved soffits. The Next Gen team worked closely with steel and concrete contractors to cut pockets out of the existing structure for tie-ins. Next Generation then refinished any areas that had been exposed during the tie-in process.

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Next Gen's scope included ceilings, metal studs, framing, drywall, door frames, and other miscellaneous specialties, necessitating close collaboration with almost all contractor partners on the project. Within the updated VIP family suites, the feature architectural wall and ceiling with unique lighting required close coordination with HVAC and electrical contractors to achieve the intended design.

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While scheduling is always a priority for construction projects, the deadlines for this renovation were immovable. With work taking place during the basketball off-season, completion by opening night of the 2022 season was crucial. Adapting to the needs of the times added an unprecedented level of complexity to this project.

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ADAPTING TO THE NEEDS OF THE TIME

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When construction began in the summer of 2021, most of the population still needed access to vaccines, and venues of this size were just beginning to reopen to the public with strict guidelines. To maintain a healthy and safe space for everyone, explicit rules had to be followed daily to allow access to the building.

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On days when the venue hosted events, construction crews had to show proof of vaccination or, in some cases, stop work early to allow for additional disinfecting and ventilation. When crews had to cease work earlier, the schedule was made up on weekends or during third shifts. The entire project team worked diligently to overcome site restrictions and work safely within new guidelines while still meeting tight schedule windows and ultimately completing the project in time for opening night.

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THANK YOU TO AN AMAZING PROJECT TEAM

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While we cannot showcase the beautiful work done in the family suites for VIP guests of the arena, we hope you have been able to enjoy the newly updated Loudville. We would like to thank the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for trusting us with their vision for the project and allowing us to build something great for the community to enjoy. A special thank you goes to the entire project team who helped safely complete this renovation during these unique times.

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