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The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]] has accelerated the continuing exodus of business from the entire downtown core of San Francisco.<ref name="DowntownSanFranciscoDying">{{cite news |author=San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board |date=August 21, 2022 |title=Downtown San Francisco is dying. This bill could help save it |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Downtown-San-Francisco-bill-economy-17383169.php |accessdate=December 17, 2022}}</ref><ref name=SanFranExodus>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/sf-covid-recovery-nyc-17365339.php|title=New York is roaring back from the worst of the pandemic. Why isn't San Francisco?|author=Roland Li|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=August 13, 2022|access-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref><ref name=SanFranEmptiestDowntownInAmerica>{{cite news |title=What Comes Next for the Most Empty Downtown in America |author=Conor Dougherty |author2=Emma Goldberg |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/17/business/economy/california-san-francisco-empty-downtown.html |newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 17, 2022|url-access=subscription |access-date=December 17, 2022 |quote=On any given week in San Francisco, office buildings are at about 40 percent of their prepandemic occupancy.}}</ref> Significantly high levels of crime, open-air drug use, [[homelessness]], and closed storefronts have become more prominent features of Union Square.<ref name=UnionSquareSanFranDying>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/sf-union-square-walgreens-closure-18440152.php|author=Sam Mauhay-Moore|publisher=Hearst Corporation|title=Walgreens in San Francisco's Union Square to close by next month|quote=The store's closure follows that of several retail establishments around Union Square, including Express, Anthropologie, Gap and CB2.|date=October 21, 2023|access-date=October 22, 2023}}</ref>{{explain|date=April 2024}}
===SoFi Stadium===
[[File:LA Inglewood Rams Future Location.jpg|thumb|2016 aerial view of the stadium construction site, adjacent to [[The Forum (Inglewood, California)|The Forum]]. The new [[Hollywood Park Casino]] is in the foreground.]]
[[SoFi Stadium]] ({{IPAc-en|'|s|oʊ|f|aɪ}} {{respell|SOH|fy}})<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/so-fie-or-so-fee-future-home-of-the-rams-chargers-gets-a-name/|title=So-Fie Or So-Fee? Future Home Of The Rams, Chargers Gets A Name|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=September 15, 2019|access-date=July 31, 2022}}</ref> is a 70,240-seat sports and entertainment indoor-outdoor stadium in the [[Los Angeles]] suburb of [[Inglewood, California]], United States. SoFi occupies the former site of the [[Hollywood Park Racetrack]], {{convert|0.15|mi}} southeast of [[Kia Forum]] and {{convert|0.2|mi}} northwest of [[Intuit Dome]], and {{convert|3|mi}} from [[Los Angeles International Airport]].
The stadium complex is a component of [[#Hollywood Park|Hollywood Park]], a master planned neighborhood in development on the site of the former racetrack. [[Hollywood Park Casino]] re-opened in a new building on the property in October 2016, becoming the development's first establishment to open.<ref name=casino>{{cite web|url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/20936-hollywood-park-casino-s-grand-opening-oct-21|title=Hollywood Park Casino's Grand Opening Oct. 21 - Poker News|work=CardPlayer.com|access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref>
Opened in September 2020, the fixed-roof stadium is home to the [[National Football League]] (NFL)'s [[Los Angeles Rams]] and [[Los Angeles Chargers]], as well as the annual [[LA Bowl]] in [[college football]]. SoFi Stadium is one of two stadiums currently shared by a pair of NFL teams, the other being [[MetLife Stadium]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]], shared by the [[New York Giants]] and [[New York Jets]]. It is the first stadium complex outside of the [[New York metropolitan area]] to host two NFL teams concurrently; the other three since the 1970 [[AFL–NFL merger]] have been [[Shea Stadium]], [[Giants Stadium]] and MetLife Stadium.
In North American professional sports, it is the fourth stadium complex in Greater Los Angeles shared by more than one team from the same league. The other venues have been [[Crypto.com Arena]], which has hosted both of the city's [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) teams, the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and [[Los Angeles Clippers]], since 1999 (although this arrangement will end by 2024); [[Dignity Health Sports Park]], which is home to [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS)'s [[LA Galaxy]] and the now-defunct [[Chivas USA]] from 2005 to 2014; and [[Dodger Stadium]], which was shared by [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB)'s [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] and [[Los Angeles Angels]] from 1962 to 1965.
The stadium hosted [[Super Bowl LVI]] on February 13, 2022, the [[2023 College Football Playoff National Championship|College Football Playoff National Championship]] on January 9, 2023, [[WrestleMania 39]] on April 1–2, 2023, and the [[2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup final]] on July 16, 2023. It is scheduled to host multiple matches of the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=FIFA unveils stellar line-up of FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host Cities |url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/fifa-unveils-stellar-line-up-of-fifa-world-cup-2026-tm-host-cities |website=[[FIFA]]}}</ref> [[Super Bowl LXI]] in 2027, and the opening and closing ceremonies (as well as [[association football|soccer]] and archery events) of the [[2028 Summer Olympics]].
The NFL approved the Inglewood proposal and the Rams' relocation back to Los Angeles, 30–2, on January 12, 2016, over the rival proposal.<ref>{{cite news |title=NFL will return to Los Angeles for 2016 season|first1=Tim|last1=Logan|first2=Nathan|last2=Fenno|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-la-chargers-rams-20160113-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 13, 2016|access-date=November 10, 2016}}</ref> On July 14, 2016, it was announced that [[Turner Construction]] and [[AECOM]] Hunt would oversee construction of the stadium and that the architectural firm HKS, Inc. would design the stadium.<ref>{{cite news |title=Two companies selected to oversee $1.9 billion construction of Rams stadium|first=Stephanie|last=Michaud|url=https://mynewsla.com/sports/2016/07/14/two-companies-selected-to-oversee-1-9-billion-construction-of-rams-stadium/|work=MyNewsLA|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=November 10, 2016}}</ref> On October 19, 2016, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) determined that a {{convert|110|foot|adj=on}} tall LB 44 rotary drill rig would not pose a hazard to air navigation, so it approved the first of several pieces of heavy equipment to be used during construction. The stadium design had been under review by the FAA for more than a year because of concerns about how the structure would interact with radar at nearby [[Los Angeles International Airport]] (LAX).<ref>{{cite news |title=Excavation for the Rams' stadium could begin in just weeks|first=Nathan|last=Fenno|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-rams-stadium-excavation-20161019-snap-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 19, 2016|access-date=November 10, 2016}}</ref> On December 16, 2016, it was reported in ''[[Sports Business Journal]]'' that the FAA had declined to issue permits for cranes needed to build the structure. "We're not going to evaluate any crane applications until our concerns with the overall project are resolved," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.<ref>{{cite web |title=FAA Declines to Allow Cranes at Inglewood Construction Site|first=Mike|last=Florio|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/12/12/faa-declines-to-allow-cranes-at-inglewood-construction-site/|work=[[NBC Sports]]|date=December 12, 2016|access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> The FAA had previously recommended building the stadium at another site because of the risks posed to LAX—echoing concerns raised by former [[United States Secretary of Homeland Security]] [[Tom Ridge]].<ref>{{cite news |title=LAX INGL Update|first=Michael|last=Bott|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3222161-LAX-INGL-UPDATE-F-26AUG2016.html|work=[[KNTV]]|location=San Francisco|date=August 26, 2016|access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> The [[Los Angeles Rams|Rams]] held the groundbreaking construction ceremony at the stadium site on November 17, 2016. The ceremony featured [[NFL Commissioner]] [[Roger Goodell]] and Rams' owner Stan Kroenke.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rams to Break Ground on Inglewood Stadium Next Week, Source Says|first1=Nathan|last1=Fenno|first2=Sam|last2=Farmer|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-rams-stadium-construction-20161110-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 10, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rams to Break Ground on $2.6 Billion Inglewood Stadium Thursday|first=Alden|last=Gonzalez|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18025485/los-angeles-rams-break-ground-26b-stadium-inglewood-thursday|work=[[ESPN]]|date=November 11, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2017}}</ref> On December 23, 2016, the FAA approved the large construction [[crane (machine)|cranes]] to build the stadium.<ref>{{cite news |title=FAA Approves First Cranes for New Rams Stadium|first=Nathan|last=Fenno|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-rams-stadium-faa-20161223-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 23, 2016|access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref>
==See also==
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