December 17, 2021 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Columbus Crew SC News Release
COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew today announced that Lower.com Field, the Crew’s new home located in Astor Park, has been awarded the 2021 Harrison W. Smith Award by the Columbus Downtown Commission. The annual prize recognizes projects that positively impact Columbus’ downtown and reflect a drive for an ever-improving urban environment.
“We are honored to have Lower.com Field join the distinguished company of other Columbus landmarks such as the Scioto Mile and the LeVeque Tower in receiving the Harrison W. Smith Award,” said Columbus Crew President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “The vision that the Haslam, Johnson and Edwards families had for Lower.com Field was that of a gathering place where supporters could celebrate not just the Crew, but also the Columbus community. To have our modern and dynamic home be recognized by the Columbus Downtown Commission, along with the warm reception from supporters, means that we were able to deliver on that promise in our first year.”
The renowned award is named after Harrison William Smith, a zoning and development attorney who served as the founding chairman of the Columbus Downtown Commission and head of the panel for 12 years.
Praised for its progressive, dynamic and transformative design, Lower.com Field is a 20,371-seat soccer-specific stadium. Anchoring the mixed-use Astor Park development, the stadium features a 220,000-square foot canopy that covers every seat in the stadium and is designed to keep noise in; 3,356 safe-standing seats in the Nordecke, the team’s supporters’ section; a 62,000-square foot community plaza; a beer garden; The Pub; high-definition scoreboards; a frictionless matchday experience; and two sensory rooms.
Designed by HNTB and MKSK, the Crew broke ground on Lower.com Field on October 10, 2019 and held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 29, 2021. Earlier this year, the state-of-the-art venue was named the winner of the 2021 James B. Recchie Design Award by Columbus Landmarks. In addition to hosting the Crew’s Major League Soccer matches, Lower.com Field also hosted the 2021 Campeones Cup (September 29) and the United States Men’s National Team’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica (October 13). The stadium will again host the U.S. once again next year when the Stars and Stripes take on El Salvador in a crucial 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (January 27).
The Black & Gold are set to open the 2022 MLS season by hosting Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Lower.com Field on Saturday, February 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Crew is now accepting Nine-Match Ticket Plan deposits. For as little as $100, fans will have limited game selection flexibility, access to pre-sales and more. Supporters interested in securing Season Ticket Memberships or placing deposits for Nine-Match Plans for the 2022 MLS season can call 614-447-2739, visit columbuscrew.com/tickets/memberships or email seasontickets@columbuscrew.com to get connected with a Season Ticket Member representative.
• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
