New York Mets' Citi Field set to rival $780 million soccer stadium approved for MLS team
The New York Mets and Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will soon have a neighbor after city officials approved a proposal to construct a $780 million soccer stadium next to the New York Mets’ stadium, Citi Field. The 25,000-seat stadium will belong to Major League Soccer’s New York City Football Club.
This comes after multiple failed attempts to revamp Willets Point, which currently houses several auto body shops.
Expected to be completed by 2027, the stadium will spearhead a 23-acre (9-hectare) redevelopment project in the Willets Point neighborhood. According to ABC News, this plan will include housing, retail stores, a new public school, and a hotel.
The Yankees and United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who owns the New York City FC, will finance the construction of the stadium.
"Today’s City Council vote gets us one step closer to bringing this promise to life in Queens -– the World’s Borough will be our home for The World’s Game,” club's vice chairman Marty Edelman said in a statement released by the city.
The city's Independent Budget Office determined that the stadium's actual cost to taxpayers might be $516 million over the 49-year period of the NYCFC lease. The figure comes after an estimation of what the city would have received if it had been sold instead of leased.
At present, the New York City FC play their games at Citi Field or Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The 2021 MLS championship winners will finally have a stadium with a preference for soccer.
Mets owner proposed $8 billion plan to surround Citi Field with modern amenities
Back in Nov. 2023, NBC New York reported that the Mets' owner Steve Cohen was vouching for 50 acres of development around Citi Field. This plan is named Metropolitan Park and it will have 20 acres of new public park space and an additional five acres of athletic fields and playgrounds.
The ambitious plan will also have a Hard Rock Hotel, which will include a live music venue and gaming.
“Hard Rock at Metropolitan Park will be rooted in the spirit of music while embracing the unique culture and character of Queens,” said Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International. “Metropolitan Park captures the energy and vision of bringing people together for memorable shared experiences ..."
The endeavor is to have a casino but there is no confirmation of the license.