New NYCFC Stadium Coming In 2027, Designed By HOK

New York City’s first soccer-specific stadium now has a designer and contractor on its way toward a 2027 opening for the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) of Major League Soccer.

The planned $780 million, 25,000-seat privately funded stadium is set for Willets Point in Queens near both the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and the New York Mets’ Citi Field. NYCFC announced that HOK will design the venue and Turner Construction Company as the general contractor on the project.

Along with the new venue located directly east of Citi Field, NYCFC has plans for 2,500 units of affordable housing, a 650-seat public school, a hotel and open space.

“Soccer is known around the globe for its incredible in-stadium atmospheres, and we are committed to delivering a best-in-class experience for our fans in a stadium that reflects the greatest city in the world,” says Brad Sims, NYCFC CEO. “Stadiums are where people come together, and we share a vision with HOK to ensure our stadium becomes a destination of soccer for our fans while playing an important part in the development of Willets Point.”

HOK’s key projects include St. Louis City SC’s new stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and renovations to Footprint Center in Phoenix and State Farm Arena in Atlanta. HOK also recently designed the new Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport, located a few miles from the planned NYCFC site.

“The stadium will embody New York City’s dynamism and cultural diversity and will become a vibrant example of urban placemaking,” says Rashed Singaby, principal and senior project designer at HOK. “Our design will embrace the multi-faceted identity of Queens, Flushing Meadows and the site’s industrial heritage, offering fans an unprecedented hospitality-driven game day experience while integrating into the local community as an everyday asset.”

HOK’s design will position the stadium along the edge of 126^th Street (Seaver Way). With a “pedestrian-friendly scale,” the team says the stadium will feature technology and flexibility while including a grand arrival experience.

Combined with the tennis center and Citi Field, NYCFC believes the addition of the soccer venue will add to the sports and entertainment destination offerings in Queens.

Turner, which has built TQL Stadium, SoFi Stadium, Lower.com Field, the Golden 1 Center, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Levi’s Stadium and currently the Intuit
INTU
Dome has worked with HOK for 50 years across more than 400 projects.

NYCFC has played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since joining MLS in 2015.

Delivered through the Queens Development Group, a joint venture between Related Companies and Sterling Equities, the project will next enter the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure approval process in 2023 as the project will be reviewed by the New York City Public Design Commission. NYCFC hopes to finalize the stadium design later in 2023.