New York City Football Club (NYCFC) announced today (Friday) that it had selected HOK as the architect and Turner Construction Company as the general contractor to design and build New York City’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium.
Plans were unveiled in November for a first permanent home for Major League Soccer’s NYCFC at Willets Point in the borough of Queens. It is hoped that the 25,000-capacity venue will open in 2027.
The club said today that the $780m project would include 2,500 units of affordable housing, a 650-seat new public school, a hotel, open space, and NYCFC’s fully privately financed stadium.
NYCFC will serve as a partner in the project alongside Queens Development Group, a joint venture of Related Companies and Sterling Equities. The Willets Point land is owned by New York City, which will lease it to NYCFC and Queens Development Group.
HOK’s design will strategically position the stadium along the edge of 126th Street, integrating into the city grid. The site is adjacent to the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center and the New York Mets’ Citi Field ballpark.
“It is clear that HOK and Turner are the right partners to bring our vision of a world-class stadium that is integrated into the local community,” the club’s chief executive, Brad Sims, said.
“Soccer is known around the globe for its incredible in-stadium atmospheres, and we are committed to delivering a best-in-class experience for our fans in a stadium that reflects the greatest city in the world.
“This project will be transformative for Queens; the World’s Borough is the perfect location to build the City’s first stadium for the world’s game. Stadiums are where people come together, and we share a vision with HOK to ensure our stadium becomes a destination of soccer for our fans while playing an important part in the development of Willets Point.”
The entire project is expected to generate $6.1bn (£5.1bn/€5.9bn) in economic impact over the next 30 years, creating 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs. NYCFC has primarily played at Yankee Stadium, home of MLB’s New York Yankees, since debuting in MLS in 2015 and has also been forced to play some games at Citi Field and Red Bull Arena, home of MLS rival New York Red Bulls.
