Although the Stadium at Rentschler Field is designed specifically for football and soccer, its first official event was a gathering of benefactors for the Big Mo', the annual fund-raising event for Riverfront Recapture. The construction site of the 40,000-seat, open-air, multipurpose stadium was the backdrop for the fund-raising dinner. "Every year we go to a new construction site," said Kristin Beth Ferris, Riverfront Recapture spokeswoman. She said her river-centric group champions economic development to make sure people in the area have things to do when winter makes the Connecticut River uninviting.

The facility, set to open in time for the UConn football opener on August 30, will be utilized primarily by the University of Connecticut football and soccer teams but is capable of hosting a variety of events. Ellerbe Becket’s integrated team is providing architecture, engineering, construction, interior design and environmental graphic design for the stadium, which is part of a larger site master plan including mixed-use commercial/retail and light industrial components.