After the construction of Mineirão, ownership of the stadium was transferred by the Minas Gerais government to Sete de Setembro.

At this stage América won Campeonato Brasileiro Série B in 1997 in the confrontation against Vila Nova-GO and in a match against Náutico.

In 1999, in partnership with Atlético, América built a metal-structure grandstand, increasing the stadium capacity to about 30,000 people, plus an electronic scoreboard.

During the stadium's renovation, all three Belo Horizonte teams played in the Arena do Jacaré, located in nearby city Sete Lagoas.

[4] In the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the Independência hosted three matches in the group stage, including the notable upset United States vs England.