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NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - In a little more than three months, the 2018 U.S. Open will kick off celebrating 50th anniversary. But it'll also be ushering in a new era when it opens the brand new Louis Armstrong Stadium.
As workers put on the finishing touches, one detail is clearly evident: the retractable roof. So when rainy days happen in August, tennis will still be played.
"The big thing for us was to have two retractable roofs. The players could be in the middle of a match and we're not asking them to go back to the locker rooms and come back in a half an hour," said Danny Zausner, the chief operating officer of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "In this case, they may just continue volleying and warming up and then the ability to play within 5 or 10 minutes is huge for the players—and for the fans."
Zausner took Fox 5 on an exclusive first look at the new facility, which will seat 14,000. And for fans nostalgic for the original building, which was torn down, you won't be disappointed.
"There's a certain wow factor to the stadium in general," Zausner said. "When fans come through the East Gate, where most fans show up to come to the site, right away the building is spectacular."
He said the venue will feature oversized bathrooms, lots of concession stands, and places to hang out and relax.
"Matches in Louis Armstrong will be day and night, so the fans could be in here for 12 hours and they want to be able to spread out and really enjoy themselves," Zausner said.
The completion of the new stadium marks the end of a five-year $600 million transformation of the tennis center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens.
"We wanted to make sure that we could improve the experience for the fans, for the players, everyone else that's involved," Zausner said.
You don't have to wait until Day 1 of the U.S. Open to watch tennis in the new Louis Armstrong Stadium. It will be open for matches throughout the qualifying week, which is free to fans, beginning August 21.
And yes, the seats will be in by then.