If you drive by the future site of Allianz Field, you’ll see progress is constantly being made. Shortly after the column signing ceremony, structural steel started going up at the southeast corner of the site and now it’s starting to wrap around to the south. Mortenson Construction reports that in the coming weeks, you’ll be able to see a lot more going north along the east side of the site now that demolition of the building that formerly housed Rainbow Foods is complete.

As the outline of the building begins to take shape, it’s worth noting that the stadium is not just another sports venue, and not even just the premiere soccer-specific stadium in Minnesota, but the newest member of the Allianz family of stadiums. The club’s partnership with Minnesota-based Allianz Life means St. Paul will join Munich, Sydney, London, Nice, Sao Paulo, Vienna and Turin as a host to a top-notch facility with the Allianz name. Allianz has invested in these stadiums and destinations because they are “committed to supporting local communities by helping develop magnets for global industry and tourism in key regions worldwide.” 

There are arenas throughout the world that are nearly their own reason to visit a city: Old Trafford in Manchester, Wembley in London, Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium in New York, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Fenway Park in Boston, Notre Dame Stadium, the Palestra in Philadelphia and others. The aim is for Allianz Field to join those hallowed buildings and the rest of the Allianz family of stadiums as that kind of venue, a destination unto itself and a cathedral for the game.