Back in 2020, the New York Times had reported that the organization had almost reached a real estate deal to construct the soccer stadium in the South Bronx, right near Yankee Stadium. And while the stadium is still set to be constructed, some of the logistics have changed.
The original deal included not only the 25,000-seat stadium, but also affordable housing options, a school, hotel and stores. The total (privately-financed) development project would have cost over $1 billion. The new space would have been right down the road from where the NYC F.C. team currently plays at Yankee Stadium.
Now, according to a press release, the 25,000-capacity venue is set to be built in the Willets Point neighborhood in Queens.
The project will still be privately funded and will also include over 40,000-square-feet of public open space, a hotel, and retail shops that will create new jobs for community residents.
The addition of the stadium will turn Willets Point into a sports hub–it will share a subway station with the New York Mets’ CitiField and the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The new stadium has been a longtime coming. The team has been looking to find a more permanent headquarters pretty much since it was established in 2013. But year after year as it tried to propose construction in other areas of the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and even right outside the city on Long Island, they ran into issue after issue.
Playing at Yankee Stadium has come with its own share of troubles too, since the baseball team of course gets priority, which can often force the team to travel far for important home games.
Those spearheading the project took a very community-driven approach. The project will create 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs, a new 650-seat standalone public school, and 2,500 affordable housing options–NYC’s largest 100% affordable new housing project in 40 years. The entire project is expected to generate $6.1 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a brand-new neighborhood, a Willets Point that offers real opportunity for working people and all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Our plan will deliver 2,500 affordable homes — New York City’s largest fully affordable housing project in decades. And with a fully privately financed soccer stadium, a hotel, and local retail, we will create not only homes but also quality jobs, $6 billion in economic activity, and a true pathway to the middle class. This is what it means to build a ‘City of Yes.’”
If all goes according to plan, the soccer stadium could be looking at a completion date of 2027, following the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup™ that New York and New Jersey will help host.