NYCFC Has Plan to Build New $780 Million Stadium in Queens

The venue will be New York City’s first professional soccer stadium.

New York City is set to have its first professional soccer stadium, reaching an agreement for a $780 million venue for MLS club New York City FC in Queens. 

As reported by The New York Times on Tuesday and confirmed by Mayor Eric Adams and the club, the stadium will serve as the centerpiece for a new development in the Willet’s Point neighborhood, near Citi Field, home of the Mets.

The proposal calls for a 25,000-seat stadium, set to open by 2027. It will anchor a 250-room hotel in the area, along with 2,500 units of housing, compromising what is reportedly the city’s largest affordable housing development since the 1970s.

NEWS: New York City officials have reached an agreement to build the city’s first pro soccer stadium — a $780 million project for NYCFC.

▪️ 23 acres in Willets Point, Queens
▪️ 25,000 seats
▪️ 250-room hotel
▪️ 2,500 units of housing

It's set to be done by 2027, per @nytimes. pic.twitter.com/finiYzgAqe

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 15, 2022

NYCFC will reportedly foot the entire bill for the stadium, breaking with recent trends of public investment in sports stadiums. Just this year, New York State earmarked over $800 million for a new $1.4 billion facility for the Bills. The stadium owners will receive significant tax breaks for the new Queens facility, per the report.

According to The Times, the team will receive a 49-year lease for the New York City-owned land that is being used for the stadium, and will pay up to $4 million per year to rent the land. The team will also have an option to extend the agreement for $25 million.

Goooal! We’re kicking off a new era of housing and sports at Willets Point. Tune in if you’re a @NYCFC fan! https://t.co/lsDk5WE6xv

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) November 16, 2022

NYCFC has played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since the club began play in 2015, but it has been forced to relocate on multiple occasions due to scheduling conflicts, playing “home” matches at Red Bull Arena, Citi Field and Rentschler Field, among other locations. The team won its first MLS Cup in 2021 and was eliminated in the Eastern Conference final in 2022.