Credit One Stadium Renovation

After 20 years as Charleston's premier event venue, Credit One Stadium transforms into a world-class destination for sports and entertainment while preserving its role as a gathering place for the community. Increasing seating capacity from 7,000 to 11,000 through open-air design, the spacious bowl-shaped arena incorporates enough concrete to fill a tennis court 45 ft tall, more than 200 miles of wiring, and 26 mature crape myrtles throughout the site. Designed to blend seamlessly with its Lowcountry surroundings, the venue celebrates its Charleston roots through thoughtful architectural details, from polished tabby flooring in the hospitality suites to the Stage House canopy inspired by the cranes at the nearby Port of Charleston.

Working to achieve the owner's vision, the project team established quality standards for the stadium's signature polished tabby finishes through extensive mockups and testing. More than 150,000 pounds of reclaimed oyster shells are incorporated throughout the stadium, creating a distinctive Lowcountry aesthetic carried from the main entrance through the hospitality spaces.

The three-story Stage House provides players and performers with wellness facilities that feature premium locker rooms, physical therapy and exercise spaces, catering and food prep areas, and media and production rooms. The VIP Club rounds out the Stage House, with all finishes designed to be durable for large events while still providing the elegance of an intimate venue, including vegetative ceiling and walls, fossilized moss, custom woodwork, and imported tile flooring.

The first of its kind to grace a coastal shoreline, the structural steel cantilever canopy system consists of braided steel cables imported from Germany and a sky deck system for entertainment equipment used only in high-end venues. The project team collaborated with the manufacturer to strategically retrofit this unique product using custom stainless materials that prevent salt air corrosion.

Delivering the renovation within an aggressive 12-month schedule required close collaboration and innovative planning from the outset. Without original as-built drawings, Choate’s in-house Virtual Design + Construction (VDC) team leveraged laser scanning, BIM modeling, 3D coordination, and virtual reality walkthroughs to establish existing conditions, guide design coordination, and support value engineering throughout the project. These efforts minimized rework, accelerated decision-making, and maintained confidence in both the budget and schedule despite an expanding project scope.

The transformation extends beyond the arena to create a welcoming destination for visitors and the surrounding community. Two acres at the stadium entrance are reimagined as a public park featuring decorative fountains inspired by the flight of a tennis ball, sophisticated fencing, paved walkways, 26 mature crape myrtles, more than 5,000 plantings, and 50 additional trees. Together, these enhancements strengthen the connection between the venue and its Lowcountry setting while creating an inviting arrival experience for hundreds of thousands of annual visitors.