New York City Football Club revealed extensive sustainability plans for the club's proposed new soccer stadium in Willets Point at a local community meeting in Queens. The new venue would become the first all-electric stadium in Major League Soccer, as well as the first venue of this kind in New York City.

Temporary home at Yankee Stadium

In 2013, a new soccer team, New York City FC, was founded as a team to join the Major League Soccer (MLS), the leading soccer competition in the United States and Canada. The team started playing in the league from the 2015 season, without having its own stadium. However, the new club's ambition was to have its own dedicated soccer facility.

The temporary home for the new club became baseball's Yankee Stadium, where the New York Yankees play on a daily basis. Scheduling problems have meant that, from time to time, the players give way to the baseball players and play games at the replacement stadium.

© New York City FC

The club is one of two teams from the New York metropolitan area playing in the MLS league, alongside the New York Red Bulls. The meetings between the two teams, although a short tradition, are referred to as derby games (known as the Hudson River Derby). New York City FC describes itself as a club from the city of New York, while the Red Bulls are associated with the western part of the metropolitan area. In 2021, New York City FC achieved its greatest success, winning the MLS title. Sports fans can find several New York sportsbook promos, which are now available to try out a NY sports bet promo.

New home for NYCFC at Willets Point

On November 15, 2022, a conference was held at which New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled plans for a new stadium for New York City FC. The arena is to be built at what is known as Willets Point, in the borough of Queens, right next to baseball's Citi Field, where the New York Mets of the MLB play. The site is not far from Flushing Meadows, where the club was already planning to build its own stadium at the outset. The initial concept was prepared by S9 Architecture.

In April 2023, it was announced that HOK would be designing the stadium and Turner Construction Company was chosen as the main contractor. In May 2023, new renderings of the future facility were unveiled. Further ones appeared in October 2023. The area where the development is planned is called Willets Point. Until now, the area has been heavily neglected, known for its numerous garages and car scrap yards. The facility, dubbed Willets Point Stadium, is to have a soccer-specific layout and will accommodate 25 000 spectators.

In addition to the new stadium, the project also includes the construction of residential buildings with 2,500 affordable units and retail and service areas. In addition, there will also be a 250-room hotel and a primary school. New public spaces are also planned and the entire 23-acre site will be comprehensively revitalised.

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Willets Point to be first-ever fully electric soccer arena in MLS

In November, New York City Football Club unveiled extensive sustainability plans for the club's proposed new soccer stadium in Willets Point at a local community meeting in Queens. The venue would become the first all-electric stadium in Major League Soccer, as well as the first all-electric professional sports stadium in New York City.

Details of NYCFC's sustainability plan come as the stadium, which is part of the Willets Point Phase 2 project, formally entered the Unified Land Use Review Process (ULURP). As the official NYCFC website reads, as part of its sustainability plan, the design and construction of the stadium will focus on several green issues. The first of these is renewable energy. The facility will be fully electric, with a number of solar panels installed on the roof of the stadium to maximise energy generation.

Another consideration is efficient water systems. A water harvesting system under the stadium pitch will capture rainwater and reuse it for irrigation. Water-saving systems, including dry urinals, proximity-controlled taps and reduced water-use taps and showerheads, will help reduce unnecessary consumption. Emphasis has also been placed on the materials used, which, along with the arena's fixtures and fittings, will be sourced locally wherever possible to avoid significant environmental impacts from transport.

© New York City FC

The club stated the importance of public transport. To reduce the environmental impact, the Willets Point stadium project is committed to providing an efficient means of accessing the stadium via public transport. NYCFC is committed to waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Fans will have easy access to replenish drinking water throughout the stadium. The stadium will explore the possibility of composting waste on site for local benefit. The franchise is committed to reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. As part of the stadium project, the club will actively engage with suppliers to ensure the supply chain approach to the sustainability agenda.

NYCFC measures all activities and emissions in a genuine and transparent manner, in line with national and local regulations. As part of the stadium project, the club is focusing on reducing CO2 emissions and aiming for a credible net zero by 2040. Finally, the club authorities ensure full compliance with all local sustainability laws and regulations. This includes meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the City Football Group's global sustainability programme.

The New York City Football Club's stadium sustainability plan specifically addresses the key threats facing the planet, including extreme heat, drought, flooding, fire and smoke pollution and threats to clean air.

When will Willets Point Stadium be ready?

The cost of building the stadium alone is estimated at $780m. The club is to pay $4m annually for the lease of the land on which the stadium will stand. The entire project still has to go through a number of administrative procedures before going ahead. It is tentatively estimated that the stadium would be ready in 2027.

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