PORTLAND, Ore. — Sitting inside Mike Golub’s office, tucked inside Providence Park, the constant rumble of construction is there. It’s not always noticeable—the sounds of typing on a keyboard or conversation can mask it—but once there’s a pause, the low hums and beeps of heavy machinery are clear. For Golub, the Portland Timbers’ president of business, the background noise is a daily reminder that, after years of looking for ways to upgrade the club’s home stadium, the vision is close to becoming reality.



The club is adding 4,000 new seats across three new tiers at Providence Park—a response to the Timbers’ 130-plus-game sellout streak and a season ticket waiting list of around 15,000 names. The stadium will go from a capacity of about 21,144 to more than 25,000 once construction is over, but the new addition isn’t just about increasing the capacity. As the economics and standards of MLS evolve, the Timbers...