The post-Yankee Stadium era for New York City FC is drawing closer.
The club’s next step in its long-awaited transition to a soccer-specific stadium came on Wednesday, when the first renderings of its new 25,000-seat venue were released.
In November the club struck a deal to build the privately funded stadium in the Willets Point neighborhood of Queens, just across the street from the New York Mets’ home of Citi Field.
The $780 million stadium is part of what is being dubbed the Willets Point Revitalization Plan, which also includes an affordable housing development, 40,000 square feet of public open space, a school, a hotel, and ground-floor retail shops.
NYCFC is aiming for the stadium, which will be the first soccer-specific venue within New York City, to be complete in time for the 2027 MLS season.
That would end a 12-season run at Yankee Stadium, which has served as NYCFC’s home since its 2015 expansion season. Due to various conflicts with the stadium’s primary tenant, the New York Yankees, the MLS club has been forced to play home games at several other venues over the years. That includes last season’s playoff opener against Inter Miami, which was moved to Citi Field at the last second.
An early 👀 at New York City’s planned first-ever soccer-specific stadium 🏟 #DaleNewYork
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) May 10, 2023
According to NYCFC, the renderings — which, we should stress, may not end up exactly representing the stadium’s final design — showcase an “iconic, activated cube entranceway that will serve as a warm, experiential welcome to fans and community members alike. On match days, the cube will be illuminated with vibrant imagery inspiring a dynamic experience from the moment you approach NYCFC’s new home.”
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