A new New York City FC stadium could built in a development in the Bronx, as it is reportedly one of the options in the mix for the club.
NYCFC has spent years searching for a new stadium site, as the club is seeking to construct a soccer-specific facility to replace Yankee Stadium. One of the options the team is being linked to is in the Bronx, where a new stadium and development would be built in a stretch between Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Terminal Market. Led by Jorge Madruga of Maddd Equities and Eli Weiss of Joy Construction, the 20-acre development would include a new NYCFC stadium, along with a park, hotel and conference center, affordable apartment units, office space, a school, and retail. The developers have a binding agreement to purchase the GAL Manufacturing factory on East 153rd Street, and would lease the land to the NYCFC.
There had been effort back in 2013 to construct a new NYCFC stadium in this area, but that proposal fell through. This proposal could revive that idea, though NYCFC says that the site in the Bronx is one of several options that is under consideration. More from The New York Times:
A spokeswoman for the team said that New York City Football Club “is actively pursuing a permanent home in N.Y.C. and exploring several options, including working with Maddd Equities in the Bronx. We continue to engage in meaningful dialogue to understand what may be feasible on their site.”
The politics can be fraught and team and city officials are reluctant to discuss the stadium until a final deal is reached.
Alicia Glen, deputy mayor for housing and economic development and a soccer fan, said discussions with the team are ongoing. But cautioned that nothing is final. The city has also been talking to the team about another site — next to Citi Field at Willets Point, Queens — that has been a perennial candidate for redevelopment.
“I do believe strongly that it would be a good thing to have a stadium specifically designed for soccer in a global city as incredibly diverse as New York,” Ms. Glen said. “We’re going to have the World Cup in 2026.”
“But,” she added, “it is way too early to say it’s happening in the Bronx as opposed to Queens. All these locations require discretionary approvals.”
NYCFC is backed by a group that includes the New York Yankees and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The club has played matches at Yankee Stadium since beginning MLS competition as an expansion entry in 2015, though that has always been intended to be a temporary measure until the team secures a new facility.