We have a plan for a new Queensboro FC stadium scheduled for a 2022 debut, as the USL Championship team will build the first soccer-specific facility in New York City history at York College of The City University of New York (CUNY).
There’s plenty of soccer history in New York City, but it’s taken place at baseball ballparks like Ebbets Field and the current Yankee Stadium or municipal football stadiums. With this plan, a new Queensboro FC stadium will be the first purpose-built stadium, specifically designed for soccer, by any professional sports team in New York City.
Pursuant to a 2020 request for proposals, CUNY awarded Queensboro FC the contract to construct and operate a stadium on the York College campus to support the university’s academic and athletic mission, as well as enhance the college experience for its students, create local jobs, grow neighborhood businesses, and develop the surrounding area of Jamaica, Queens.
In addition to hosting Queensboro FC practices and competition play, the stadium will also serve as the venue for York College’s commencement, CUNY Athletic Conference tournament games, and other free or ticketed events. Throughout the duration of the partnership, there will be ongoing exchange between university and club, such as the joint development of class curriculum on topics surrounding health, wellness, and sports education, as well as the integration of front office, coaches, and players as guest speakers. There will also be community initiatives hosted by Queensboro FC and York College, especially related to youth and student development in the form of seminars, clinics, and internships.
The 7,500-seat modular stadium will be designed in partnership with Populous, a leading global architecture firm that has created some of the world’s best sporting facilities. The stadium will adhere to the highest standards and best practices of a post-COVID era, with frictionless commerce along with other health, safety, and sanitation protocols. The pitch will be synthetic turf, allowing the venue to be a year-round asset for sports, entertainment and community events.
Queensboro FC has launched The 1909 Club for its fans, named in honor of the Queensborough Bridge, which opened in 1909 and is an integral part of QBFC’s crest design. To officially kick-off ticket sales for the 2022 inaugural season, QBFC is offering a limited-time promotion for the first 1,909 people to place a deposit, which grants lifelong membership in the 1909 Club. Fans can place a $25 deposit for the first-rights opportunity to purchase season tickets, up to six seats and choose their seat location in the new stadium. The deposit will apply as a credit towards the total cost of their season ticket plan. Seat selections are made in the order of deposit placement, therefore the club encourages fans to place their orders early by visiting the Queensboro FC website.
“Today is an exciting day for Queensboro FC. The announcement of our home stadium site at York College represents a bold new chapter for professional sports in New York City,” says Jonathan Krane, Owner of Queensboro FC. “More importantly, we are proud to deliver our QBFC fans a dedicated soccer specific venue, built by and for the Queenscommunity, bringing us all together to celebrate the beautiful game.”
“The City University of New York is proud to partner with Queensboro FC in bringing a professional soccer stadium to York College in Queens, a place world-renowned for its cultural and linguistic diversity, and for its love of el fútbol,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “This new stadium is a great addition to the York College campus and will benefit not only CUNY students and the local community, but all New Yorkers and fans of soccer.”
“The soccer community in Queens is finally getting what they’ve always wanted–their own team and their own stadium,” says Aly Wagner, former US Women’s National Team star and currently part of Queensboro FC ownership group. “We have worked really hard over the past two years to bring QBFC to life, and this stadium represents a huge step forward. It will serve as a physical manifestation, and a leading example, of how to build a modern-day soccer team in an ever-changing world of sports and entertainment.”
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