CityPark – construction description

Why will a new soccer stadium be built in St. Louis?

After several unsuccessful attempts to create a soccer team in St. Louis to participate in MLS, a new investor initiative was created in the fall of 2018, with a sizable financial backing and support from local officials. In August 2019, MLS authorities announced the granting of a license to the future St. Louis-based club starting with the 2023 season. The foundation of the team was to be a new, soccer-specific stadium.

Where will St. Louis' new soccer stadium be built?

The site chosen for the project was the land located in the downtown area, near Union Station, on representative Market Street. The site was originally intended for the construction of a section of a short highway, which was to run inside the city limits of St. Louis but was never built. Prior to the construction of the arena, the site was occupied primarily by parking lots.

How is construction progressing on the new stadium in St. Louis?

Site preparation began in February 2020, with the formal driving of the first structural steel bar on December 9th, 2020. The main contractor for the facility is a consortium of Mortenson Construction, Alberici Corporation and L. Keeley Construction (MAK for short), with a construction cost of $457.8 million.

In February 2022, it was announced that a 15-year sponsorship agreement had been signed with healthcare company Centene Corporation, under which the facility will be named Centene Stadium. The arena is expected to be operational by the 2023 season, when the new club, St. Louis City SC, will enter MLS.

What will Centene Stadium look like?

The stadium was designed by HOK Architects and Snow Kreilich Architects. The new facility will have a typically football-like, rectangular layout, with two-level stands (with roofing on the upper tiers) surrounding the pitch on all sides. The field will be 12 m below the level of the surrounding terrain.

The upper tier of the stands will be non-uniform, and each of its four parts will be separated from each other. The most distinctive part will be located behind the southern gate, where a large glass pavilion will be situated. The separateness of this part of the stands is to be emphasized by a clear cut-off of the canopy over this part of the stadium. The capacity of the arena is to be 22,500 spectators.