New York City FC (NYCFC) could be close to a breakthrough in its long-running efforts to secure a stadium of its own, with Mayor Eric Adams reportedly set to announce his support for a 25,000-seat facility near Citi Field, one of the Major League Soccer (MLS) club’s current homes.
The New York Post, citing sources close to the situation, said a deal is close on a likely privately funded project that could be delivered by 2025. However, the newspaper noted that even with Adams’ backing a new stadium would still need to be approved through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).
Since its launch in 2015, NYCFC, which is majority owned by City Football Group, has been forced to live a nomadic lifestyle with a number of proposals for a soccer-specific stadium having failed to come to fruition.
This season, the club has been playing home games at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium, homes of Major League Baseball franchises the New York Mets and New York Yankees, respectively, along with Red Bull Arena, which houses MLS rival New York Red Bulls.
The latest report comes after news surfaced a few months back that a new stadium would most likely be built in the Bronx. That is no longer the case, according to the Post, with a site identified on land leased by former Mets owners Sterling Equities and Related Companies.
This is part of the 61-acre Special Willets Point District, and a new soccer stadium could join Citi Field and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, in the Flushing-Meadows Park area.
An Adams spokesman told the Post: “There is no agreement at this time. We continue to engage in ongoing conversations around the mayor’s goals of building a world-class stadium in New York City that will finally give NYCFC a permanent home, bring in millions of dollars in revenue to boost the local economy, and grow affordable housing options for New Yorkers.”
An NYCFC spokesman added: “The club is enthusiastic about the potential of a few locations for our soccer-specific stadium and remains as committed as ever to working with our fans, the local community groups, and elected officials to deliver this transformative project. We are grateful for the Mayor’s support in understanding that the reigning MLS champions need a permanent home.”
Image: ajay_suresh/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
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