At a meeting this week, city officials discussed a proposed new Tacoma soccer-specific stadium that could be constructed for USL’s Sounders 2 FC.
Sounders 2 FC currently plays matches at Cheney Stadium, home to baseball’s Tacoma Rainiers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). The 2018 season was the first under an arrangement in which the club owner, MLS’s Seattle Sounders, supplies players and coaches while the Rainiers oversee game-day and business operations. Sounders 2 FC will return to Cheney Stadium next year, but a new soccer-specific stadium in Tacoma could eventually be constructed.
During a joint meeting of the Metro Parks Board and Tacoma City Council on Tuesday, officials discussed the potential construction of a new stadium at Heidelberg/Davis Park–a sports complex near Cheney Stadium that includes baseball and softball fields. Under the current proposal, the stadium would feature a capacity of 5,000 to 5,500 with seating options that span from a grass berm to suites. The new facility would open as early as the 2020 season.
It is expected that the stadium would supplant existing baseball fields at the complex, but Cheney Stadium could pick up any games that are displaced by the project. The proposal is not final, however, as officials will have plenty to consider before deciding whether to move forward. More from Tacoma Weekly:
A soccer stadium at this location would eliminate some of the fields used for baseball. [Chief strategist officer for Metro Parks Joe] Brady said the Rainiers are willing to make their facility available for high school teams that would be displaced by the project.
Metro Parks is also studying a future complex for recreational soccer. Three sites are under consideration – the Tacoma Landfill, Mount Tahoma High School and Tacoma Community College.
Councilmember Conor McCarthy noted the current Heidelberg complex it quite popular with the public. “There is a lot of strong, emotional connections,” he remarked.
Assistant City Attorney Steve Victor noted there is currently no money in the city budget for the project.
Sounders 2 competes in Division II USL, which is being rebranded as USL Championship.
RELATED STORIES: City Council Passes Resolution for Tacoma USL Stadium