NYCFC releases new renderings of Willets Point stadium project
A rendering of NYCFC's new stadium project in Willets Point Credit: NYCFC
New York City FC provided the first extensive look at designs for the club’s new soccer-specific stadium and plans for the surrounding Willets Point neighborhood, presenting several new renderings to Queens Community Board 7 in a meeting Wednesday.
Along with Related Companies and Sterling Equities, NYCFC presented images of its vision for a $780 million, 25,000-seat stadium along Seaver Way across from Citi Field’s bullpen gate, as well as various public common areas and new housing surrounding the stadium.
NYCFC first announced plans for the stadium in November alongside NYC Mayor Eric Adams. The project is set to enter ULURP for additional community input later this year. The stadium, designed by architecture firm HOK, is expected to be open for the 2027 Major League Soccer season.
“This project presents an incredible vision for Queens, and as we continue our community engagement process, we are grateful to see how impactful it will be for the people of the world’s borough,” read a statement by Jeff Blau of Related Companies and Jeff Wilpon of Sterling Equities.
Wednesday’s presentation showed the yet-to-be-named venue will feature a cube-shaped main entrance at the southwest corner, the gate closest to nearby public transit stations, with an “experiential plaza” intended to serve “as a gateway for fans” on match days.
Inside the stadium, one rendering shows a permanent home above the supporters’ section for NYCFC's celebratory smokestacks, which are set off before each match and for each goal. According to the club’s presentation documents, the supporters section also will include safe standing areas, capo stands for fans leading chants and a “tifo-friendly design.” The stadium’s roof also will be designed “to contain and amplify the acoustic experience” as well as provide shelter for fans from inclement weather, and seats’ proximity to the pitch is expected to be “fully optimized.” The complex also will include headquarters for City in the Community, the club’s foundation, with the goal of using the stadium on both match and non-match days.
Outside the building, renderings show plans for several new buildings in the neighborhood to the stadium’s north and south, anchored by 2,500 units of affordable housing. Site plans also call for a school, a hotel and retail shops alongside 40,000 square feet of public open space.
“The integration of the residential buildings with the open space and stadium is a true model for how neighborhoods should be built, and is a critical step for how this vision will come to life in a way that puts housing first, prioritizes the pedestrian experience and will be built with union labor,” said NYC councilmember Francisco Moya in a news release. “The welcoming ‘front door’ to the new Willets serves as a powerful symbol of investment in a corner for Queens that has languished for too long but stands to become a beacon for the borough and the city.”
Ryan Gerbosi is an internet news manager for sports at Newsday.com. He also covers NYCFC and mixed martial arts and believes the designated hitter should be banned from baseball.
