It’s been more than 15 years since Mayor Lisa Gillmor and former Council Member Kevin Moore led a successful effort to bring a new 49ers stadium to Santa Clara. And it’s been ten years since the ribbon-cutting of Levi’s Stadium on July 17, 2014.
Since that time, the stadium has seen legendary concerts like Taylor Swift, Beyonce and the Rolling Stones, Super Bowl 50 and a massive COVID-19 community vaccination drive. On the horizon for 2026 are both the World Cup and Super Bowl 60.
The 49ers are honoring the anniversary by highlighting the team’s contribution to the Santa Clara community, as well as the stadium’s economic contribution to the city’s coffers.
“Since opening ten years ago, our organization has made it a mission to ensure we’re giving back to the community,” said 49ers spokeswoman Ellie Caple, adding that, “The spirit of commitment comes from the top down.”
These include $11 million in support for Santa Clara Unified’s STEM programs, including the team’s STEM Leadership Institute, the STEMZONE at Cabrillo Middle School, honoring local educators at games, providing skills camps for young athletes that have served about 50,000 girls, and Read for Justice book donations to local elementary schools.
The stadium also was the site of the largest COVID-19 vaccination drive in California, as well as a voting center for the 2020 election.
As the stadium enters its second decade, the 49ers are launching new community initiatives, as well as highlighting their community support over the past decade in a campaign titled 49ers Cares.
“We are launching 49ers Cares to tell the full story of our organization’s commitment to this community,” said Caple. “We are proud to call Santa Clara our home and look forward to giving an additional $250,000 per year to Santa Clara causes, for a total of $5 million over the next 20 years, starting with the Bill Wilson Center and Santa Clara Swim Club.”
The 49ers have pledged $100,000 to the Santa Clara Swim Club to support coaching and increase opportunities for athletic development and $50,000 to the Bill Wilson Center to support its services to at-risk youth.
The stadium itself embodies a commitment to sustainability. As the first LEED-certified stadium in the country and is carbon-neutral. It has recycled 400 million gallons of water since opening, and its 20,000 solar panels generate 100 percent of the energy for events.
In the past ten years, Levi’s Stadium has generated $350 million in direct and indirect economic activity in the City of Santa Clara, according to a study commissioned by the San Francisco 49ers and published Oct. 2 by Emeryville-based Sports Economics.
Sports Economics reported that the stadium boosted Santa Clara’s general fund $35.6 million including: parking fees and hotel and sales taxes, senior and youth ticket fees, ground rent, and net profit from non-NFL events (performance rent).
Unfortunately there won’t be a celebration of the stadium’s 10th birthday on July 17 because the Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds Tour ’24 will play at Levi’s that day. No word on whether Mayor Lisa Gillmor will present the key to the city to Mick Jagger and make him honorary mayor.
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Is it possible that, without the nasty and hateful attacks by “mayor” Gillmor against the San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium, that more events would be scheduled and presented at Levi’s Stadium and the City of Santa Clara would NOT need a bond measure top get out of – well a debt caused by Gillmor? Include her faithful companion Wantanabe.