Glendale Prepares to Host Super Bowl LVII

Feb. 7, 2023

How long does preparation take?

“It’s only been several years in the making. We’ve been planning it for a long time, but it seems like it’s happening overnight,” said Phelps.

What is the economic impact on the city?

“We won’t know the final numbers until the studies come out, but for us it’s more of the impact long-term than it is short-term. If you look at all the things that have happened since 2015, the exposure that we got in 2015 is I think a major catalyst for all the growth that we’ve been seeing in the last eight years. We expect to get a similar bump after this one,” explained Phelps.

Most of this impact is predicted to come from areas such as West Gate and around the stadium. “In fact we right now are in the middle of an almost $2 billion worth of private investment within the entertainment district, which is really major for a city our size,” said Phelps.

What are the security measures in place?

“One department can’t handle it; we have 22 agencies both federal, state, and local that all come together and put together a security plan, working with the NFL who of course has a tremendous amount of expertise. It’s not one agency that does this,” said Phelps.

Traffic is also a topic of concern, as it seems to be increasing for current Arizona residents as we approach the big day. “That is our responsibility, and we’ve added a tremendous amount of resources like additional traffic cameras and there are going to be drones being in the air in addition to helicopters. We’re very confident that we’ll still move traffic very easily,” said Phelps.

An additional $3 billion has been added to budget to help cover these costs in order to provide a safe but entertaining experience for football fans.