Discussions are underway about $10 million in state funding for a New Mexico United stadium, as the team seeks capital outlay funds for phase one of the project.
Coming off of a successful inaugural season at Albuquerque’s Isotopes Park, United is ramping up its effort to build a new stadium in the coming years. The USL Championship club is looking to put together a public-private partnership that would result in a new stadium in Albuquerque that could host additional events beyond professional soccer matches, while anchoring a sports and cultural center that includes surrounding amenities.
To help move that effort forward, United president Peter Trevisani is lobbying state lawmakers to approve $10 million in capital outlay funds for construction on the first phase of the project. No decision has been made on the request yet, but Trevisani is hoping that it will be approved to help jump start planning on the facility. More from KOB.com:
“It’s a multi-year process so if we’re going to be playing in a soccer-specific stadium in three or four years, we’re going to have to start that now,” he said.
Trevisani said he’ll look at using a mix of public and private dollars to fund the project.
According to a capital outlay request, the $10 million from the legislature—if approved—would be used “to acquire land for and to plan, design and construct phase 1 of a sports and cultural center, including art exhibits, public outdoor spaces, retail and dining facilities and playing fields, in Albuquerque in Bernalillo County.”
Trevisani said the stadium would hold about 15,000 fans and cost about $75 million. However, according to him, that could change.
United will return to Isotopes Park in 2020, but the facility is primarily a ballpark for Minor League Baseball’s Albuquerque Isotopes (Class AAA; International League) and has never been envisioned as a permanent home for the club. United’s 2019 season ended with the club topping the 36-team USL Championship in attendance, drawing a per-game average of 12,693 fans, according to our attendance figures.
Image courtesy New Mexico United.
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