New York City FC is inching closer to making Queens its permanent home. Key approvals for a new stadium have been secured on the same day the professional football club unveiled new renderings of the venue.
city planning committee unanimously Approved the proposed redevelopment of Willets Point, which includes a seven-story soccer stadium, 1,400 affordable apartments and retail space.
The next step will be a vote on the City Council before it reaches Mayor Eric Adams, who has expressed support for the project.
With flashy videos Posted online Wednesday, The soccer team has released renderings of an LED-lit stadium called The Cube that will be located next to Citi Field, where the New York Mets play.
other new rendering We have shown what the “immersive” arena requires from various angles.
The sporting body has teased that the 25,000-capacity venue will open by 2027. It will be the first dedicated soccer venue in Big Apple history.
The proposal, called Phase II of the Willets Point redevelopment, also includes a 250-room hotel and 2.8 acres of public space. The first phase included the construction of 900 affordable housing units.
“We are one step closer to a historic goal for Queens,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, noting that the development will be “a difference-maker” for the nearby neighborhoods of Corona, Flushing and East Elmhurst.
Mr Richards had previously recommended approval for the plans, provided they provided employment opportunities for local people and improved local infrastructure.
Planning Commission members praised the project by voting yes, with Vice Chairman Kenneth Knuckles calling it “monumental” with enormous economic potential.
“The Club is pleased to announce that the City Planning Commission has approved the Willets Point transformation project, creating the largest 100% affordable housing project in over 40 years, thousands of jobs, and New York City’s first union-built We are grateful to have made this soccer stadium a reality,” NYCFC Vice President Marty Edelman said in a statement.
“Ten years ago, NYCFC committed to building stadiums in the five boroughs, and today’s vote brings us one step closer to making that promise a reality in Queens. It will be our home base.”
The team currently plays its home games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in the Bronx.
NYCFC CEO Brad Sims told The Athletic Wednesday, the organization said it wants to “differentiate itself” from other New York sports venues.
“I think our grand entrance through the Cube will be very different from any other kind of arrival feeling, like a welcome to a sporting event, that our fans have seen in the past,” Sims said. Ta.
“When you come to our stadium, you know you’re in New York City,” he added.
