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Over eight years at Yankee Stadium and an MLS Cup Championship, NYCFC is set to debut their brand new stadium in 2027 located in the Queen's Willets Point neighborhood. The team just revealed new images and renderings for the soccer-specific venue and it's stunning.
The 25,000 seat venue will be New York City's first ever soccer-specific stadium. It will include 100% affordable housing developments over the next 40 years, over 40,000 feet of public open space, and a new school, hotel, and multiple retail shops. It will also add new transportation opportunities, with access to public transit via the Long Island Rail Road, 7-line subway, and Q48 bus.
The $780 million dollar privately financed project just goes to show that the future of soccer is important to the United States, both on a growth perspective and on an economic development standpoint, as well.
This is massive for the team, the league, and of course the borough of Queens, and New York City as a whole. This will add to the already present Citi Field and Billie Jean King Tennis Center, continuing the growth of Flushing. Steve Cohen is also trying to put a casino in the area too. The project also contains a headquarters for NYCFC’s foundation – City in the Community (CITC) – and its award-winning work. CITC has built 50 community pitches, served 30,000 NYC youth, and established a strong presence in all five boroughs. Great for the economy and job market, and awesome for the community.
As a NYCFC supporter, you love to see it. It sucks they will be departing Yankee Stadium, but it's time for them to have their own home. It also shows that their is a bright future for MLS, with the constant expansion of team derived complexes, rather than shared spaces. This is going to be pretty sweet.