MLS’s newest stadium was the site of celebration on Monday, when Minnesota United FC unveiled Allianz Field.
Positioned as the anchor of a larger redevelopment initiative in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood, Allianz Field is the only new MLS stadium opening this season. The soccer-specific stadium is scheduled to host its match on April 13, when United takes on New York City FC, but members of the organization gathered on Monday with fans, media, and local dignitaries to show off the new facility.
Having Allianz Field unveiled as part of that ceremony gave United the opportunity to showcase its design, and some of its key amenities. More from the Star Tribune:
The luminescent pale gray structure provides a custom-designed pad for the team to feed what supporters say is a hunger in a region that hasn’t had true, hometown soccer since the Kicks dissolved and left Met Stadium in 1981.
“To me this is truly ‘L’Etoile du Nord,’ the star of the north,” team owner Bill McGuire told at least 200 lightly bundled supporters celebrating the $250 million building near Interstate 94 and Snelling Avenue….
Allianz Field impressed in the debut of its interior with subdued wood finishes and a view of the sky through a rectangular overhang that provides a cozy cloak of cover and erases the sense of being anywhere near traffic. Designed for the sport and the specific space, the seats are aligned to try to give all fans a sense of being close to the action.
The stadium has suites and fancy spaces up high with touches of wood and the Loons’ black and powder blue. But the most coveted spots, the ones that define the building, are down low, flush with the pitch. Fans in the front row of these areas can tickle their toes in the grass that goes right up to their seats.
Another event at Allianz Field is scheduled for Friday, as United will unveil a Brew Hall and a team store–two year-round amenities–with a grand opening. United spent the past two seasons at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium while awaiting the completion of Allianz Field.
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