New York City FC will privately finance and build New York City’s first professional soccer-specific stadium, projected to open for the 2027 MLS season.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Councilmember Francisco Moya, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and New York City FC officially broke ground on Etihad Park, New York’s first professional soccer-specific stadium and Major League Soccer’s (MLS) first fully-electric stadium across the nation. In addition to the stadium—which will be operational by the 2027 MLS season and is being entirely privately financed by New York City FC—this project will also deliver retail, food and beverage facilities, office space, and “City Square,” a plaza for community uses and events.
“New York City FC committed ten years ago to build New York City’s first-ever, soccer-specific stadium in the five boroughs, and today’s groundbreaking of Etihad Park in Willets Point, Queens, brings us one step closer to delivering that promise to our fans and our city,” said New York City FC Vice Chairman Marty Edelman.
Etihad Park’s groundbreaking comes approximately a decade after New York City FC was founded. During that time, the Club has been committed to growing the sport of soccer across New York City. In addition to winning MLS Cup in 2021, the Club has built more than 50 mini-pitches and provided free soccer programming to thousands of youth through the Club’s nonprofit foundation, City in the Community (CITC). The construction of Etihad Park will deliver not only a new home for the Club’s First Team, but also a home for City in the Community, enabling the nonprofit to expand its reach and provide opportunities in soccer to even more youth across the city of New York.
Etihad Park is one piece of Mayor Adams’ Willets Point transformation, which will deliver 2,500 affordable homes—the city’s largest 100 percent affordable new housing project in 40 years—over 40,000 square feet of public open space, a 250-key hotel, a 650-seat public school, and neighborhood-serving, ground-floor retail shops that will create good-paying jobs for community residents. In December 2023, Mayor Adams and city officials broke ground on the first 880 units of affordable housing, expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The next round of affordable homes to be built as part of Phase 1 are 220 units designated for low-income seniors.
HOK team members from left: Autumn Visconti, Chris DeVolder, Dina Lamanna, Rashed Singaby, Anders Carlson, Bill Kenworthey. In attendance but not pictured: Jim Christerson, Carl Galioto.
“This is a historic moment for New York City FC, Major League Soccer, and everyone who has believed in the promise of soccer in America,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “We’ve always known that a world-class soccer stadium belongs in New York City. Congratulations and thanks to Mayor Adams, Councilman Moya, Borough President Richards, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, club ownership, staff, players and fans of New York City FC on making Etihad Park a reality.”
“Driven by New York City FC’s vision and ambitions, the new stadium will be an unequivocal celebration of diversity, community and soccer,” said Rashed Singaby, principal and senior project designer at HOK. “We are proud to celebrate this important milestone with the team, the city and our project partners and look forward to seeing the stadium come to life as a centerpiece for the vibrant Queens community and a benchmark venue for the beautiful game.”
This historic plan will bring significant long-term economic opportunity to a community that has long been underserved. The entire transformational project is expected to generate $6.1 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, creating 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs. Last month, Mayor Adams announced a project labor agreement with the Building & Construction Trades Council (BCTC) for infrastructure work in the Willets Point District. The infrastructure work governed by this PLA will support over 500 jobs. New York City FC will also incorporate community programming and outreach through its City in the Community foundation. City Square, a 35,000 square foot multi-use space located inside the primary entrance of the stadium, will serve as a community programming space operated by New York City FC during non-gamedays.
The new 25,000-seat stadium will make New York City a national soccer capital, laying the groundwork for the next chapter in New York City FC and MLS history. This is also the first fully privately financed major league sporting facility constructed in New York City in generations. J.P. Morgan arranged private financing for the stadium.
The investment represents a major opportunity to capitalize on professional soccer as a growing attraction that can bring investment and economic opportunities to New York City, as well as expand New Yorkers’ love of soccer. Willets Point will become the city’s premier sports hub, with the New York Mets’ Citi Field and U.S. Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, both also within walking distance of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Mets-Willets Point subway and Long Island Rail Road stations. No new parking will be created for the stadium. Instead, New York City FC will utilize parking at Citi Field on match and event days based on an agreement with the New York Mets.
In celebration of Etihad Park’s groundbreaking, and as an homage to the area code of our future home in the heart of Queens (718), for a limited time fans are able to secure seats at Etihad Park for as low as $7.18. Place your deposit for the 2027 season at EtihadPark.com today.