HOK and New York City Football Club (NYCFC) have released the first renderings of the club’s planned stadium in Queens. As AN previously reported, the stadium will be coming to Willets Point ahead of the 2027 Major League Soccer (MLS) season.
Updates to the 25,000-seat, $780 million project were presented to Community Board 7 yesterday, ahead of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure and New York City Public Design Commission review needed to begin construction on the union-built complex. The stadium will offer a permanent home to NYCFC, which currently splits time between nearby Citi Field and Yankee Stadium.
The box-shaped stadium will be located between the development’s other elements, which include approximately 2,500 units of entirely affordable housing, a school, hotel, open space, and offices for the NYCFC pitch-building foundation City in the Community.
In a press release, NYCFC vice chairman Marty Edelman said: “From the beginning, New York City Football Club has understood the importance of strong communication and collaboration with mayor [Eric] Adams, councilmember Francisco Moya, borough president Richards, and the local Queens community as we move forward with plans for a privately financed soccer-specific stadium… “This continued investment in New York City will create a long-overdue home for our first team, and create a new neighborhood for Queens.”
The renders show a large, cube-shaped primary entrance to the stadium, which is contiguous with a stair-tiered entrance that connects to the sidewalk. The renders show ground-floor dining space and ample pedestrian areas forming a plaza around the stadium.
The site is shown immediately across the street from a section of the larger development’s affordable housing component on one side, and from Citi Field on another. The overall design remains pedestrian-oriented, as originally promised, which is important considering the area’s connections to the 7 train, Q48 bus, and Long Island Rail Road.
The stadium will largely be open-air, with awnings covering seating areas. In plan, some corners are pushed in from the block—approaching a Cerdà-esque shape on one side—further increasing sidewalk space.
HOK principal and senior project designer Rashed Singaby emphasized the project’s community-oriented aspects, saying: “Our design team has created a sustainable, technology-driven experience and integrated the stadium into the context of a future district. Our goal is to establish a connected urban amenity for the community and an unprecedented live event experience. We’re looking forward to the stadium becoming a centerpiece for the vibrant Queens community.”
