Woodbine Soccer Stadium – design description

When were plans for a new football complex at Woodbine Racetrack created?

In March 2022, Woodbine Entertainment announced plans to build a new football training complex in Toronto, along with a main stadium with a capacity of 8,000 spectators. The first renderings by renowned studio Populous, created in collaboration with the Greenpark Group, were also unveiled.

Woodbine Entertainment is the company that manages Woodbine Racetrack, located in the western part of the city in the Rexdale neighbourhood, not far from Toronto Pearson International Airport. The new complex would be built just northeast of the equestrian track.

What is the purpose of a new football training complex in Toronto?

The 38,000-square-foot complex would be built to FIFA standards for hosting matches at the international level. The centre would become a training base for domestic and foreign football clubs and a facility for national team training camps.

The permanent host of the main stadium would be York United FC, a participant in the Canadian Premier League, playing so far at York Lions Stadium with a capacity of 4,000 spectators. A new professional women's football team would also potentially play at the venue.

The plans for the new complex are part of the growing popularity of football in Canada, boosted in recent times by the country being awarded co-hosting of the 2026 World Cup, the women's national team winning an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games and the men's national team advancing to the World Cup in Qatar.

In June 2022, Toronto was officially announced as one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup (the games will be held at BMO Field, which is to be expanded), further adding to the sense of building a complex that could thus become a training base for one of the teams during that tournament.

The plan to build a football complex is part of the so-called Woodbine Community Plan, which aims to develop the land in the immediate vicinity of Woodbine Racetrack. New flats or an agglomeration rail station are also planned as part of the project. The plan is expected to revitalise the area, create new jobs and help maintain the equestrian facilities.

What is the latest news on the construction of a new soccer complex in Toronto?

New images of the complex's main arena, behind which is SixFive Stadium Experience, a company specialising in building modular stadiums, were unofficially released in November 2022. The stadium is to be equipped with a natural turf pitch, which will be surrounded on three sides by stands for 8,000 spectators.

Thanks to the use of modular technology, the facility could be built quickly and at relatively low cost, and possible future expansion would also be facilitated. The construction is to be financed by Woodbine Entertainment together with private investors and shareholders. It is assumed that the project will be completed in 2023.