In a meeting Wednesday morning, the New York City Planning Commission unanimously voted in favor of building the new stadium in Queens. The decision marks a significant step in moving the plans closer to fruition and the beginning of construction.
At noon, NYCFC released new renderings of the stadium and announced ‘The Cube:’ the seven-story main entry to its planned new stadium featuring more than 11,000 square feet of LEDs.
According to the team, The Cube’s design symbolizes the ‘stability and permanence’ of the new stadium, which is planned to open in 2027 and be the city’s first soccer-specific stadium. It also symbolizes ‘equality and fair play’ with its equal dimensions: ‘two values that are at the heart of the club.’
NYCFC’s new stadium will be located across the street from Citi Field and near the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the U.S. Open.
Social media reacts to ‘Naming Rights Sponsor Stadium’ in new NYCFC renderings
In the video to announce The Cube, NYCFC’s rendering included ‘Naming Rights Sponsor Stadium’ in block letters above the main entry. Users on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) were amused by the inclusion of that detail.
New York City FC stadium history
Since its inaugural season in 2015, the MLS club has primarily used Yankee Stadium in the Bronx as its home field.
Over the years, the club has faced several scheduling conflicts with the New York Yankees. As a result, NYCFC have played several regular season games at Citi Field (home of the New York Mets) in Queens and Red Bull Arena (home of the New York Red Bulls and NY/NJ Gotham FC) in New Jersey.
In November 2022, NYCFC and New York City made an agreement to build a 25,000-seat stadium in Willets Point, Queens as part of a mixed-use development at the site.
The full development, known as the Willets Point Project, will also include 2,500 affordable housing units, a 650-seat public elementary school, a hotel and retail shops, and 40,000 square feet of public open space.
On March 6, the plans for the stadium were approved by the city’s planning commission. It will go to the New York City Coucil next, then will require approval from Mayor Eric Adams. There are not expected to be any major roadblocks along the way, according to The Athletic.