NYCFC will look to add to its trophy case when the MLS playoffs start next month. But if the team wins its second straight championship, it still doesn’t have anywhere to showcase its success. Almost a decade after being created, the team is still trying to find a location for a permanent stadium. The good news is that the search may soon be over.
By Matthew Stein
Two locations are grabbing the most attention: Harlem River Yards in the Bronx and Willets Point in Queens. At this point, many fans don’t care which site is approved. They just want the team to have a permanent home. The defending champs have played at six different “home stadiums” this season.
Let’s look at some of the reasons the Harlem River Yards site would be a good fit. NYCFC currently calls Yankee Stadium its home field; building a soccer-specific stadium at Harlem River Yards keeps the team in the Bronx. Fans are already used to commuting there for games and it keeps the Pigeons in their current community.
Plans for this site were first introduced in 2018. It included a 26,000-seat stadium, a medical center, shops, restaurants, and affordable housing. Four years later, the waterfront railyard sits basically empty and undeveloped. At the same time, Mayor Eric Adams vowed to “invest in and plan around emerging job hubs and commercial corridors in all five boroughs, starting in the Bronx.”
More recently, reports emerged that Mayor Adams is set to give a 25,000-seat stadium near Citi Field in Queens his blessing. However, that doesn’t mean the stadium would be built. It would still need approval from the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.
Benefits of building NYCFC’s stadium in Queens include a burgeoning relationship between the team and the borough highlighted by games at Citi Field. It’s also an easier commute for soccer-loving communities on Long Island.
Benefits
The biggest draw of the Willets Point location could be a partnership with Citi Field to create a massive mixed-use development with shopping, entertainment, and hospitality on top of professional sports. It was an idea first proposed when Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez bid to buy the Mets in 2020.
One of the more intriguing scenarios with the Willets Point proposal is how Citi Field and the Mets would be involved with NYCFC. The Yankees own about a 20% stake in the soccer team and their games air on YES Network. It would create a unique partnership between New York’s baseball teams.
If either location is approved this year, it will be a race against the clock to have the new stadium ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The stadium would not be large enough to host games, and the locations have been chosen, but it could be used as a practice facility. More importantly, NYCFC fans want a place to call home sooner rather than later.
Matt is a travel advisor specializing in sports travel. He will customize your entire trip so you can watch your team anywhere in the world. Visit www.uniqueluxurytravels.com Or e mail Matt directly.