- December 16, 2024
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Featured Articles, Features, Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
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 – earlier this month.
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.
The ground breaking follows hot on the heels of last month’s announcement that New York City’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium will be officially named Etihad Park, following the penning of a deal between the Club and the airline. The 20-year agreement will see Etihad Airways retain the exclusive naming rights for New York City FC’s stadium.
Etihad Airways has been with New York City FC from the Club’s beginning, expanding their partnership over the past decade. In 2014, Etihad Airways started as a principal and founding partner of New York City FC and became the front-of-shirt partner for the Club’s First Team and Boys Academy.
Etihad Airways has also played a vital role in supporting New York City FC’s community work through the Club’s nonprofit foundation, City in the Community (CITC). Etihad Airways is one of the primary partners of the New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), a first-of-its-kind $3 million initiative launched in 2016 to create and maintain 50 mini-pitches across the city and expand free soccer programming for the next generation of New Yorkers. The 50th pitch was opened in November 2021 and all sites are open for play to the public.
Etihad Airways and New York City FC, alongside the other NYCSI partners, have also committed to constructing an additional 26 mini-pitches across the city in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This announcement builds on the successful partnership Etihad Airways has built with City Football Group. Together, City Football Group and Etihad Airways have created best-in-class club content, fan experiences, and community initiatives designed to collectively deliver real social impact through soccer around the world.
Ground breaking
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.
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.
New York City FC Vice Chairman Marty Edelman, said:
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.
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 neighbourhood-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.
Mayor Adams said:
Today, we are breaking ground on Etihad Park — our city’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium — for New York City FC to call home and finally deliver New Yorkers the soccer stadium they deserve. Along with cohosting the 2026 World Cup with New Jersey, this stadium puts us on the map as a world-class soccer destination, and it makes Willets Point the city’s premier sports hub.
This stadium is part of our Willets Point Transformation, building a neighbourhood with more housing, public space, and a new school out of the Valley of Ashes. We are scoring the city’s largest all-affordable housing project in the past 40 years, a new 650-seat public school for our students, more than 40,000 square feet of public open space, and good-paying jobs and economic opportunity for local residents.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said:
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. 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.
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Councilmember Moya, said:
Today’s groundbreaking for Etihad Park is the culmination of decades of hard work, perseverance, and vision. We carried it across the finish line through collaboration and with the leadership of Mayor Adams and his administration. As an Ecuadorian kid that grew up in Corona, Queens whose life has revolved around soccer — I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this stadium to my neighbourhood with union jobs and economic growth. I may not have become a professional soccer player myself, but I look forward to one day seeing one of the young kids learning to play in Flushing Meadows Corona Park don the jersey of their hometown club, New York City Football Club, and take the field at Etihad Park.
Rashed Singaby, principal and senior project designer at HOK, said:
Driven by New York City FC’s vision and ambitions, the new stadium will be an unequivocal celebration of diversity, community, and soccer. 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.
Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said:
Today marks a significant and transformative milestone for New York City FC and Etihad Airways. The new Etihad Park represents more than just a stadium – it’s a testament to our decades-long commitment to this city, to the game of soccer, and to building vibrant communities in the destinations we serve. It is our privilege and honour to be a part of this groundbreaking moment.
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 capitalise 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 utilise parking at Citi Field on match and event days based on an agreement with the New York Mets.
New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, said:
Today we break ground on a once in a generation transformation of Queens. The $780 million, 25,000-seat Etihad Park will be our first ever stadium dedicated to professional soccer, bringing the world’s most popular sport right to our doorsteps. This is the cornerstone of the landmark redevelopment of Willets Point that will deliver 15,000 good-paying jobs, 2,500 units of affordable housing, over 40,000 square feet of new public space, and 650 school seats. We are bringing unprecedented energy, investment, and activity to a corner of Queens, demonstrating what is possible when all stakeholders work together to shape the future of our city.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., said:
In what F. Scott Fitzgerald once called the ‘Valley of Ashes’ is rising one of Queens’ most triumphant victories, in the form of New York City’s first all-electric, privately financed professional sports stadium. The World’s Game belongs in The World’s Borough, and I couldn’t be prouder of the history we’re making in Willets Point today to bring it here.
Etihad Park represents endless possibilities not only for NYCFC, but for the thousands of borough residents who will earn a living wage or grow their business there. The goal at Willets Point is to create a community where its residents thrive, elevating all of Queens in the process, and we are one massive step closer to doing just that.
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.
For the full story and to find out more, go to: EtihadPark.com
Source & imagery, courtesy of New York City FC
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