SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new stadium is coming to the Sacramento Railyards, whether the city joins Major League Soccer or not.
In a press release Friday, Republic FC Owner and Chairman Kevin Nagle announced plans to move forward with the stadium as a way to "help Sacramento accelerate its recovery from the pandemic and provide a new downtown home for sports and entertainment." The new plan includes additional details on what the stadium hopes to host, as well as a new artist rendering of the venue.
“We’re ready with a new vision that allows us to take our destiny into our own hands, and to create a community asset that will grow with the team and city," Nagle said in the press release.
Sacramento has been hoping to join the MLS for years, but issues kept popping up. In early 2021, billionaire Ron Burkle told the league due to reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic, he no longer wished to acquire an MLS team in Sacramento and pulled out as lead investor. There hasn't been any major MLS news since.
"We continue to identify and work with potential Major League Soccer investors, and at the same time we’re ready to work together on an adaptable stadium in the railyards. It’s not one or the other," Mayor Darrell Steinberg said in the press release.
The press release breaks down what the new plans for a downtown Sacramento stadium could include:
- A 12,000-15,000 seat facility in the Railyards. This number is down from the originally announced 22,000 capacity stadium. However, the new stadium could expand up to 20,000 seats in the future. The current stadium for Republic FC, Heart Health Park, holds just under 12,000 seats.
- An expansion of events held, which would include soccer matches with international clubs, rugby, lacrosse, college sports, and outdoor concerts and festivals.
- A new "accelerated timeline" for the stadium, however a timeframe was not provided.
MANICA Architecture is taking the lead on the new vision. Along with the stadium, plans for the Railyards include housing and retail development.
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