A $39-million FC Dallas stadium upgrade plan was unveiled today by the team, with Toyota Stadium additions that include the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum, more than 100,000 square feet of renovated space, new locker rooms, premium seats and a private club.
It’s unusual to see a major Hall of Fame inside a sporting facility, which makes the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum so notable. Then again, maybe not: The Hunt family, which owns FC Dallas and was instrumental in keeping pro soccer alive in America when MLS launched, has always seen themselves as caretakers of the sport.
“My father Lamar loved this game and he chased his vision of growing soccer in the United States with the same determination he brought to professional football,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “He had a vision of what the beautiful game could be in America and he spent years watching games and persuading friends to join him. This is an incredible opportunity to not only honor his legacy, but all of those who came before him, those who stood beside him, and those in the future who will endeavor to grow the sport of soccer in America. Our family is thrilled to bring the National Soccer Hall of Fame back to prominence here in Frisco, Texas, in the last stadium my father built.”
On the top level of the three-level renovation, the 24,000-square-foot museum and event center will be home to U.S. Soccer hardware, including the Women’s World Cup, Gold Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies, as well as Olympic medals and memorabilia from the historic U.S. win over England in the 1950 World Cup, among other memorabilia and trophies. Toyota Stadium will also become the permanent site for the annual National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Luxury, padded seating on the south end will be covered by a roof and include pre-game dining inside a private club featuring views into the player hallway and out to the field. Club members will also be able to watch postgame press conferences live through glass windows shared between the new press center and the private club.
The concourse level will feature a 7,000-square-foot outdoor party deck with an outdoor bar, concession stands and a new team store. Upgraded HD video boards and a new sound system will improve fan experiences, while a new skyway connecting the west-side suites to the premium amenities on the south end will make navigating the stadium simple.
New locker rooms with tunnels on each corner of the South end will be home to FC Dallas, as well as teams from Frisco I.S.D. and the NCAA FCS Championship teams. The locker rooms can be configured into four separate soccer dressing rooms or combined into two 100-person rooms for football.
Renderings courtesy FC Dallas.