Ybor Harbor Stadium – design description

What are the key features of the new stadium for Tampa Bay Sun FC?

Ybor Harbor Stadium is planned for the new women's soccer club, Tampa Bay Sun FC, which joined the newly formed USL Super League in the 2024/25 season – and immediately won the competition.

The facility is to be built in the historic Ybor City district (not far from downtown Tampa), on the Ybor Channel waterfront. In addition to the stadium itself, a much larger development project called Ybor Harbor is planned for this location, which involves the construction of a new residential area and the revitalization of the industrial port environment.

The Ybor Harbor project is spearheaded by local entrepreneur and developer Darryl Shaw, who is also the co-founder and main shareholder of Tampa Bay Sun FC, which explains why the new stadium is envisioned as the flagship component of the development.

Plans for the new stadium were presented on June 17, 2025, three days after Tampa Bay Sun FC won the USL Super League playoff final. However, no completion date or estimated investment costs have been announced yet.

The facility will seat 15,000 spectators, and its stands will be built in a rectangular, soccer-specific layout. The northern part of the stadium will be semi-open – there will be no roof over it, but it will feature a large video screen.

The western, main stand will be integrated with a hotel, whose modern, dynamic facade will be one of the most distinctive features of the entire building. Right next to the eastern stand, the new headquarters of the United Soccer League (USL) will be built.

It will be one of the first stadiums designed from scratch for a professional women's soccer team, alongside the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, which opened in 2024, and the planned Santa Fe Yards Stadium in Denver.

How did the plans to build a new stadium for Tampa Bay Sun FC come about?

Who are Tampa Bay Sun FC?

Tampa Bay Sun FC is a new women's soccer club, established in 2023 with the intention of participating in the inaugural season of the USL Super League 2024/25.

At which stadium did Tampa Bay Sun FC begin playing?

The first home of the new team was Riverfront Stadium, which belongs to Howard W. Blake High School. The stadium is located on the banks of the Hillsborough River, not far from downtown Tampa. Before the club joined the competition, the modest facility was expanded, and its capacity increased from 1,800 to 5,000 seats.

From the very beginning, Riverfront Stadium was considered by the club to be a temporary facility, and the team was ultimately supposed to move to its own, new stadium. The club's main shareholder, Darryl Shaw, had already in 2023 suggested a location in Ybor City, where he was planning a large development project.

What is the USL Super League?

The USL Super League (USLS) is a new professional women's soccer league in the US, created by the United Soccer League (USL). The league debuted in the 2024/25 season and was immediately recognized by U.S. Soccer as the most prestigious women's competition in the US, on par with the existing National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

How did Tampa Bay Sun FC debut in the league?

In its first season in the USL Super League (2024/25), Tampa Bay Sun FC achieved great success, winning the competition. The playoff final was played on June 14, 2025, at Tampa Bay Sun FC's temporary home, Riverfront Stadium, where the hosts defeated another team from Florida, Fort Lauderdale United FC, 1–0 (after extra time).

When were the plans for the new stadium for Tampa Bay Sun FC unveiled?

On June 17, 2025, just three days after winning the playoff final, the club unveiled the concept for a new stadium to be built in the historic Ybor City neighborhood, close to downtown Tampa. Visualizations of the new arena were prepared by The Beck Group.

In addition to announcing plans to build the stadium, it was also revealed that the new headquarters of the United Soccer League (USL) would be built at the same location.

What does the design of the new stadium for Tampa Bay Sun FC entail?

The new stadium will seat 15,000 spectators and will have a rectangular layout of the stands, typical for soccer facilities. The north end of the stadium will feature a single-level stand, the lowest of all, left uncovered to create a more open feel. This section will also house a large video screen. The other stands will be two-tiered and covered with a flat, semi-transparent roof.

The main stand on the west side will be integrated with a hotel located directly on the Ybor Channel waterfront, providing a unique setting with a view of the water. The hotel's facade will stand out with its attractive, rhythmic form, emphasizing the modern character of the building.

Just behind the east stand, a tall office building is planned, which will become the new headquarters of the United Soccer League.

Who will Ybor Harbor Stadium serve?

The new stadium will primarily serve the new women's soccer team, Tampa Bay Sun FC. In addition to league matches, the facility will serve as a year-round center for sporting events, concerts, festivals, and community gatherings. It is possible that national team matches will also be held there occasionally.

What role can the new Tampa Bay Sun FC stadium play in the development of women's soccer?

The new Tampa Bay Sun FC stadium is set to be another modern facility dedicated to a professional women's soccer team. The first investment of this kind was CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, built between 2022 and 2024 for Kansas City Current. The venue set entirely new standards for women’s football stadiums.

In March 2025, the Santa Fe Yards Stadium project was also unveiled, planned for a new women's soccer team in Denver. In this context, the stadium for the Tampa club will not be a breakthrough, although it will still be at the forefront. With a capacity of 15,000 spectators, it will also be larger than the facility in Kansas City and the planned venue in Denver.

Where will the new Tampa Bay Sun FC stadium be built?

The stadium is to be built in the historic Ybor City district, not far from downtown Tampa. The facility will be part of a larger development project – Ybor Harbor – which involves the construction of a new residential area and the revitalization of the industrial port environment.

The Ybor Harbor project itself envisages the creation of, among other things, 4,750 residential units, 800 hotel rooms, 500,000 square feet of office space, and over 150,000 square feet of street-level retail space.

The new development will be built on the Ybor Channel waterfront, where this short canal begins. The investment area covers 33 acres and is bounded by Channelside Drive, Selmon Expressway, and North 19th Street.

The stadium, planned for the eastern side of the development, will be its key and most recognizable feature, energizing the entire neighborhood.

Interestingly, in 2022, a baseball stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) was proposed for the same site where the Tampa Bay Sun FC facility is to be built.

Who is behind the Ybor Harbor plans?

The Ybor Harbor project is the result of the efforts of local entrepreneur and developer Darryl Shaw. In early 2023, another large development project by Shaw, Gasworx, was launched on one of the nearby plots. At the same time, the first plans for Ybor Harbor were also presented.

Darryl Shaw is also the main shareholder of Tampa Bay Sun FC. He founded the club together with David Laxer and Jeff Fox, with whom he played soccer as a child. Given his role in the club, the stadium has naturally become a central element of Shaw’s development project.

When will the new stadium for Tampa Bay Sun FC be built?

When the club entered the competition in 2024, it was assumed that the team would play at Riverfront Stadium for three to five years. However, at the time of the presentation of the new stadium project, no planned construction start date or estimated investment costs were given.