Venue News: Brazil Inches Toward World Cup Readiness; Braves Release Conceptual Renderings of Proposed Stadium

Brazilian organizers held the final two stadium tests for the World Cup on Sunday, including at the troubled venue that will host the tournament opener in a few weeks, writes the Associated Press. Brazilian league matches were played to inaugurate the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo and the Arena Pantanal in the western city of Cuiaba. The two stadiums were among those not finished on schedule ahead of the June 12 opener, along with the Arena da Baixada in the southern city of Curitiba. The final test at the Arena da Baixada was held last week. Now all 12 World Cup stadiums have held test events ahead of soccer’s showcase tournament. None of the test matches were held at full capacity, however, as there is still a lot of work left to be done at the venues, including the installation of seats…

…Construction company Odebrecht confirmed that a part of the roof at the Itaquerao would only be completed after the World Cup. There was not enough time to install the glass covers that were supposed to be added to the stadium’s roofing structure, so Odebrecht and local organizers decided to postpone the work until after the tournament. Odebrecht said the missing covers would not affect fans watching matches in the stadium, although it appeared from photos that more people would be covered from rain if they were in place…

…Six new conceptual renderings provide a better understanding of how the Atlanta Braves are planning to construct their new stadium and adjoining mixed-use development site that is scheduled to open in Cobb County before the start of the 2017 season, writes MLB.com. The renderings, which can be viewed at this gallery, provide a look at design plans for the 41,500-seat stadium and the mixed-use development that will include restaurants, retail outlets and some residential space…

…South Dakota’s Board of Regents approved design plans for a new 19,359-seat football stadium at South Dakota State University, according to AP. The board voted unanimously in favor of the plans. State lawmakers had approved the $65 million project during the 2014 session. The plans have not changed substantially since the board reviewed them late last year. The total amount of square footage has been trimmed by 7 percent to about 161,000 square feet…

…In September, DePaul University president Fr. Dennis Holtschneider and athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto were both enamored with the openness of the design for DePaul’s new basketball arena. The glass-windows from the outside flowed seamlessly into the bowl-like shape to the floor. While the conceptual design of the arena was introduced, many behind-the-scenes details needed to be figured out. After eight months and nearly a year since plans were introduced for an arena to be built in the South Loop, progress on those details have been made. Ponsetto told The DePaulia she is ready to present the final plans for Holtschneider and the board of trustees to approve…

…Under a deal Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez reached Friday, the Miami Heat will stay at the American Airlines Arena at least through 2035, but will pay new expenses to the county, writes the South Florida Business Journal. Ending the previous profit-sharing arrangement between the county and the team, the Heat would begin paying rent at the arena, in addition to an annual $1 million in donations to the parks department.