Lucas Oil Stadium to Host Its First Super Bowl

The retractable roof facility is a multipurpose venue that features 7 locker rooms, exhibit space, meeting rooms, operable north window, dual two-level club lounges, 137 suites, retractable sideline seating, house reduction curtains, two large video boards, ribbon boards, spacious concourses, interior and exterior plaza space, and 11 indoor docks.

The stadium, which opened and August 24, 2008, is located in downtown Indianapolis. It's within walking distance of roughly a dozen hotels making it an ideal location to host a major event.

The exterior of the new stadium is faced with a reddish-brown brick trimmed with Indiana Limestone.

Here are some unique facts about the stadium courtesy of lucasoilstadium.com:

• The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority (ISCBA) was the state agency that was responsible for the financing, design and construction of Lucas Oil Stadium (as well as the Indiana Convention Center Phase V expansion). The ISCBA was a group of civic and business leaders appointed by the Governor of Indiana and the Mayor of Indianapolis. The Authority was chaired by David R. Frick. Its Executive Director was John P. Klipsch.
• The Stadium is operated by the Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County ("CIB").
• The Stadium was designed by HKS of Dallas, Texas, with significant assistance from local design firms such as A2S04, Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, Fink Roberts & Petrie, Moore Engineers, and other Indiana design and engineering consultants.
• The construction manager was Hunt Construction Group, Inc., of Indianapolis, assisted by the local firms of Smoot Construction and Mezzetta Construction. The project was constructed by dozens of trade contractors, mostly from Central Indiana.
• The estimated stadium cost was $720 million. It was financed with funds raised jointly by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis, with the Indianapolis Colts providing $100million. Marion County has raised taxes for food and beverage sales, auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes and admission taxes for its share of the costs. Meanwhile, a small increase in food and beverage taxes in six surrounding counties and the sale of Colts license plates completes the total.
• These projects (Lucas Oil Stadium and the Convention Center Phase V Expansion) are expected to create $2.25 billion in economic benefit to the state and regional economy over 10 years and create 4,200 new permanent jobs, as well as 4,900 construction jobs during the life of the projects.
• The multi-purpose Stadium is be home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, host for NCAA men's and women's Final Four and Regional basketball games, and is used for major conventions, trade shows and events such as the annual Circle City Classic and FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference)..
• Other special events include the IHSAA tournaments, band competitions, local and national amateur competitions, motorsports, etc.
• Lucas Oil Products, Inc. secured naming rights from the Colts for the Stadium at a cost of $122 million over 20 years.
• Completed in August 2008.
• Covers 1.8 million square feet.
• 137 corporate suites.
• Seven-levels with a retractable roof and seating of 63,000 for football.
• Operational large north window (6 panels, 88' tall, total 244' wide) shows view of downtown Indianapolis.
• Seating can be expanded to approximately 70,000 for basketball, conventions, concerts, Super Bowl, etc. 
• Standard spectator seats ranging from 20 to 21 inches in width and more leg space (33-35 inches) between rows.
• All seats are individual seats with seat backs (no bleacher seats).
• Four wide exterior plazas with a large entrance at each.
• Public concourses that are a minimum 30 feet wide and up to 80 feet wide in some places.
• 1,400 toilet fixtures located strategically in several corridors.
• 14 escalators and 11 passenger elevators; two accessible pedestrian ramps.
• Colts Pro Shop, accessible from two levels.
• 148 concession stands.