Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Receiving Community Pushback on 2020 Stadium Renovations

On July 23, the Dodgers announced a $100 million plan to renovate Dodger Stadium, which would be completed in time for the 2020 MLB All-Star Game.

Now, the renovations are underway, but not without some controversy.



The neighboring communities of Chavez Ravine, specifically Solano Canyon, are trying to stop the stadium upgrades and stated their case in a hearing at City Hall on Oct. 22, according to twitter user @Dodgers_Randi.

Randi reported complaints of traffic due to the stadium, as well as the high noise were among concerns for the people in the community. One person also mentioned, “how bright the lighting is on the billboards surrounding the stadium.”

A resident of Solano Canyon, a community neighboring Dodger Stadium, who is against the renovations, cited safety concerns for their community due to fans who drink at the game.

“On any gameday, Dodger Stadium is the largest bar in the city of Los Angeles, serving thousands of alcoholic beverages. This creates an unpredictable situation on our community, and it continues postgames as fans depart even more intoxicated and create havoc on our streets and properties.”

Another person from Solano Canyon said the Dodgers have been inconsiderate to the people who live near the stadium and by not caring about the impact they make.

“One thing I want you to know is, the Dodgers aren’t very good to their next-door neighbor. We’ve asked them time and time again to consider our frustrations and the things that we are deeply impacted throughout the season, and we are shunned over and over again. It’s not fair. The Dodgers are a multi-billion dollar industry and we’re the little dog here.”

Another resident said the Dodgers have been breaking their conditional use permit which prohibits amplified noise and noise pollution. He also said the Dodgers have ignored and brushed off the emails from community members asking them to address the problem.

“In the last 4-5 years, the Dodgers have greatly increased the volume and frequency of announcements and music during each game. They regularly blast this noise at 5-10 minute intervals through each game, disturbing the peace and quiet that we used to enjoy.”

A fourth Solano Canyon resident said traffic around the stadium has “exploded,” causing a “gridlock” on the streets.

Proponents of the plans also spoke at City Hall, citing reasons such as making the stadium more accessible for people and making it more family-friendly.

Another person speaking on behalf of Educational Leadership Institute in LA talked about the ways they have been able to help boys in under-resourced communities and schools because of the Dodgers’ support.

He also added that it should be allowed because it isn’t being paid for by the taxpayers and so many teams are considering moving cities if they don’t get a new stadium while the Dodgers are trying to build up their stadium.

“I know that most teams are holding cities hostage and threatening cities to move. This project is being privately financed which is another reason, I think, you should approve.”

As of now, the plan is to go back to City Hall for another hearing and the Dodgers expect more pushback on their plans as they move forward, according to Randi.

Blake Williams

I graduated with an Associate's Degree in Journalism from Los Angeles Pierce College and now I'm working towards my Bachelor's at Cal State University, Northridge. I'm currently the managing editor for the Roundup News and a writer for Dodgers Nation. Around the age of 12, I fell in love with baseball and in high school, I realized my best path to working in baseball was as a writer, so that's the path I followed. I also like to bring an analytics viewpoint to my work and I'm always willing to help someone understand them since so many people have done the same for me. Thanks for reading!

22 Comments

  1. Dodger fans shouldn’t support this either but for different reasons. Those reasons being they are willing to spend 100 million on the stadium but not put any of the fans money back into the team as they act concerned over a luxury tax when they have a big tv deal that shuts out most of the LA area, food and parking prices going up and up as well as skyrocketing ticket prices and the best attendance in baseball

    1. Not to mention that stupid parking lot is still owned by Frank McCourt, every penny we spent on parking at Dodgers stadium goes into his pocket.

    2. You said it! Another example that it has become an elitist game and franchise, no longer a family experience except for very few.
      With all the billions they receive from the TV deal, you would think they would consider the fans that built this into a great franchise.
      In the end the Dodgers always screw the fans.

    3. Several corporations own the land that was once Chavez Ravine. After McCourt split the land, he kept the parking lots and the hills around the staying. Land that is prime for development. Now, Guggenheim owns the Dodgers and they are making bank on the $15 beer and ridiculous hot dogs, now they want you to hang out longer and drink more. McCourt wants you to attend his Marathon, concerts and 5-10 ks in his parking lot. Then he wants to build gondolas and make money on that, and guess what, drink more beer while you wait for the gondola! Fans and neighbors are getting suckered and you dont know it.

  2. So everyone that has moved to reside near the stadium are not dodger fans? What do you think the dodgers are supposed to do remove seats, tell the announcer to quiet down? Be serious do you mean that nearby residents thought there would be no noise, no lights. You would think they should of taken that into consideration before moving there and you can’t say everyone living there have been there before dodger stadium. What do they suggest the dodgers do? Relocate?…..c’mon. now days people gripe for petty things.

    1. The point was that the noise had significantly increased in the past 4 years, which is true. Nothing petty about not wanting to get blown off your porch by the “walk up music” for whatever athlete. The Dodgers should be forced to provide easy mass transit, and they should close the parking lots to screw Frank McCourt.

    2. You can barely hear the stadium noise at the houses. It’s the traffic/parking that is the problem

  3. I’m going to separate free agency from stadium renovations. There’s money for both. Through the years, the Dodgers have spent a lot of money on free agents and in general, it hasn’t worked out well. “We have to have Craig Kimbrel, spend the money!!” How did that work out for the Cubs this year? There were very few successes this year among the MLB free agents.

    Since retired, I have had the good fortune to visit almost all the Major League ballparks and even though it’s the third oldest, I am hard pressed to find one that is better in all categories. Renovations need to be done to keep it that way. A lot of people complain about the parking but compared to most of the parks, it’s pretty good. People who visit San Diego or Anaheim stadium should realize this.

    As to the people that live around the stadium? I’m old enough to remember what was there before. You can read all about it on the internet,. I would ask those people, “What possessed you to move next to a baseball stadium?” Just live with it. When those neighborhoods were first developed, being next to Dodger Stadium was a selling point.

    1. Totally agree. What did you expect when moving into an area next to a MLB park, a monastery. Sorta like people who move into an area where a major airport’s flight path is then complaining about the noise.

    2. “When those neighborhoods first developed…” shows your ignorance of the scandal that was Chavez Ravine. Families forced to sell for a housing project and then, in a quick switch, they sold it to the Brooklyn Dodgers who wanted to move to LA and establish a West Coast beachhead for the Major League. People were drug from their homes by sheriffs. OMG.

    3. I expected the Dodgers to Pay up and pick up a few players. I expected the dodgers to make a move at trade deadline for some B.P. help. I expected the Dodgers to lose in the 1st round of the playoff’s when they did nothing..Spending a 100 million and “not on much needed talent,” …………..What in the world are these guys thinking? It’s actually a good thing they can’t spend it on more Blue paint over the concrete. Maybe it will give them enough for a luxury tax that ALL of us financiers deserve to be spent on a few investment players….

  4. I get annoyed when people move into a place that is close to something that has been around for decades to have a problem with it. Unless you bought your house in the 1950s (pre-Stadium), then just shut up or move. I understand that people want to complain about the drunks, but building improvements are not fight ground… that is with the police. But the stadium noise or too much traffic or the lights to light the stadium are too bright… it is yourself to blame.

    It’s like in North Las Vegas… People bought their houses and when the wind changes just a little bit they would complain to the news/newspaper about the pig farm smell. Their house was built and purchases in the 2000s and the pig farm had been there since 1920s… you can only blame yourself for buying there.

  5. Dodger Stadium has been in the same location since the early 60s. People who built or brought homes around it should have anticipated many of the concerns they have. With the large crowds (and seating capacity) of the stadium it is not going to be a “quiet” park. It would be absurb to try to find other property in the area that could be used for a ball park and even if they did how long before the same issues would occur as the city continues to grow. What the City Council needs to do is make the Dodger Admin. take care of some of the internal issues and safety concerns. Enforcement is the key.

  6. I would Just like to clarify the position of the neighboring residents’ position on this issue.
    No one who spoke at the city council meeting spoke against the improvements to the stadium. In fact the improvements seem well planned and ultimately a good thing. The issue was with how the city allowed the project to move forward with out having a CEQA
    (basically an environmental impact) review. This is irregular and unhelpful to those neighbors who might like to have their concerns addressed. The feeling is that the city of L.A. is out of line in rubber stamping so to speak. Also would like to point out that none of those stadium adjacent neighborhoods were developed after the stadium was built. Games did not used to be as loud as they currently are. Mostly the change is much more loud music and drum/bass outbursts. New PA systems are cranked up pretty high as well. Anyone who went to games in the 80’s, 90’s will recognize the changes here

  7. People have to complain about everything! If it were tax payerss that’ll be it but no find some other Sagittarius. How about move them back to New York

  8. The stadium sound system is WAAAAY too loud, but from the parking lot, I can barely hear the speakers.

    1. That’s because the stadium speakers are facing from in between the pavillions inward to the rest of the stadium, not the parking lots.

  9. The stadium was issued a Conditional Use Permit in 1960 and is still operating under that permit. As pointed out already, the issue is that the city after numerous upgrades, because you can’t tell me that you have not noticed the upgrades to the lights, sounds and traffic patterns is the same as it was in 1960. Anyway, after numerous city permits, they have never been made to comply with CEQA. The city as do most fans feel that anything Dodgers can just move forward. The residents, would like them to comply to current laws just as you would be made should you make upgrades to your homes.
    As to the neighborhoods, most homes go back to the 1900’s, so B.D. By the way, remember the story of how they got the land, look it up, look up the Battle of Chavez Ravine, if you are Brown, you should be ashamed for what the city and the O’Malley did to your raza!

  10. And let’s see, who was there first, Dodger Stadium in 1962 or you! You chose to move and live there, so quit complaining about the noise and the lighting. Idiots!
    Just like the numnuts who move near an airport and then complain to the city about jet noise.

  11. Instead of spending all that equipment on renovations, I think they should use it to supply each team member with tracheostomy equipment to use when they choke each year in the postseason. Friedman and Roberts should be fired. They need new owners instead of having money grubber who have more money than most but use it to line their pockets instead of getting players that can play under pressure and bring a championship to us loyal fans. imho

  12. I agree, after the news the last couple of days regarding Cole, Strasburg & Rendon signing big contracts with other teams. The Dodgers lead the majors in attendance every year and they can’t spend on stars. The Dodgers never go for the kill to put them over the top. We want a World Series! Maybe the fans should start a boycott just like the McCourt years.

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