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While all eyes and ears seem to be focused on the Chargers and their optimism for the 2019 season, it has been almost forgotten that they fully expect to be playing in a shiny new stadium by this time next year. Even with the incredible amount of work already completed, a cursory look at the site makes it clear that the building is far from ready for finishing touches.
Now that the timeline is T-minus 12 months, the stadium project is being forced to add workers to make up for any deficiencies. As CBS LA reports, a jobs fair was held at Inglewood’s Rogers Park yesterday to connect electricians, painters, tile layers, carpenters and other construction workers with employers looking to fill those slots.
If it sounds unusual that so many tradespeople would be invited to meet potential outside employers, it is only because most of the workers are not employed by Kroenke Construction directly. The majority of the work is divided out to 3rd party specialist businesses, and this job fair is an attempt to help those businesses have enough helpers for the immediate and near-future.
And hey, if you’re near LA and think that you have the skills to help, check out the stadium’s official hiring page.
A job fair doesn’t officially indicate that the stadium is behind schedule, but that a labor shortage could risk the desired opening date. Official reports indicate that the stadium stands at 70% completion, which does line up with the timeline after 2020 was selected as the final opening date.
It seems reasonable to conclude that the builders are doing everything they can to ensure that there will be a working stadium in time for next season, but certain upgrades and flourishes might wait until after the opening kickoff.
-Jason “Story construction is key” Michaels