Gotham FC’s potential New York City move could be a win for everyone

Gotham FC New York stadium plans near Yankees site gain MLS-style backing

James Okafor | GlobalBeat

Gotham FC have entered formal talks with New York City economic-development officials about building a 15,000-seat soccer stadium in the Bronx beside Yankee Stadium.

The National Women’s Soccer League club would leave Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where average crowds of 4,200 leave more than 20,000 seats empty each game.

A move inside city limits would end Gotham’s 14-year status as the only major New York-area sports franchise playing home fixtures outside New York State. The club, founded in 2009 as Sky Blue FC before rebranding in April 2024, would become the city’s third pro soccer tenant alongside New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.

Yankees president Randy Levine confirmed the baseball club’s involvement on Tuesday. “We believe women’s soccer deserves a permanent home in the capital of the world,” Levine told reporters at City Hall. “Our architects already drew up site plans that stack the soccer stadium south of the existing parkland, against Heritage Field.”

The tentative design sits on a 10-acre slice of Macombs Dam Park currently used as softball fields. City officials say the land swap would create replacement ballfields on the park’s northern edge and add a public indoor training center open year-round.

Mayor’s office spokesperson Kaitlyn Perez said no taxpayer money would fund construction. “The project would be financed through private equity, naming rights and revenue bonds repaid entirely by stadium income,” she wrote in an emailed statement. Perez added that Gotham ownership, led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, pledged at least $200 million toward the venue.

Boehly’s consortium bought Gotham for $50 million in December 2023 after the team captured its first NWSL championship. The group includes venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian, husband of retired tennis champion Serena Williams, and former U.S. women’s national-team stars Carli Lloyd and Heather O’Reilly.

Red Bull Arena managing director Chris Presson said his company will not block the exit. “We’re proud partners, but we always understood Gotham’s long-term goal was a New York stadium,” Presson said by phone. He noted the lease at the 25,000-seat venue expires after the 2026 season, giving both sides a clean break if construction proceeds on schedule.

Fan reaction split along state lines. Season-ticket holder Amanda Chung of Queens said she rides two subway lines to Times Square, then a PATH train to reach Harrison matches. “The trip kills Saturday afternoons,” she said outside City Hall. “Bronx stadium means 35 minutes door-to-door. I’d bring my daughter every week.”

New Jersey supporter Matt DiMarco organized a “Don’t Leave the Garden State” petition that passed 1,400 signatures by Tuesday night. “We made this franchise relevant,” DiMarco posted on X. “First title in 2023, and the thanks we get is abandonment?”

NYCFC supporters groups, meanwhile, greeted the news with wary curiosity. The men’s club still lacks its own stadium after nine seasons and shares Yankee Stadium with the baseball team. “If city officials fast-track approvals for Gotham while we wait, that would sting,” Third Rail member John Baer said outside Citi Field where NYCFC hosted a U.S. Open Cup match.

City planning records show Gotham hired HOK, the architecture firm behind BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and Energizer Park in St. Louis, to draw preliminary renderings released Tuesday. A translucent roof canopy would cover all seats, echoing the NWSL’s newest venue in Kansas City. The plans include 30 suites, a 2,000-seat supporters’ section safe-standing terrace, and a public plaza facing River Avenue.

Commercial forecasts prepared by consulting firm HR&A Advisors predict 25 home dates per year between league, playoff and exhibition fixtures, generating $54 million in direct annual spending at nearby restaurants and stores. Analysts estimate $11 million in new city tax revenue from ticket sales, merchandise and visitor hotel stays.

Council Member Oswald Feliz, whose 15th district covers the proposed site, demanded extra school-seat funding before final approval. “Yankee Stadium brought crowds but never the development we were promised,” Feliz said outside the 161st Street subway hub. “This time we need iron-clad community benefits or the project stalls.”

Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós said his players learned of the talks Monday night. “They’ve earned first-class facilities,” the Spaniard told reporters after training in Montclair. “Right now we tape our own ankles because the visiting locker room leaks when it rains.”

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman signaled support without endorsing a specific location. “Our biggest star pool lives in New York,” she said at the league’s Manhattan office. “Locking them into a 15,000-seat soccer cathedral would broadcast the message that women’s sports belong on the biggest stage.”

Background

Gotham FC began life in 2009 as Sky Blue FC, playing on a converted Rutgers University football field in Piscataway. Crowds rarely topped 2,000 until the national team triumph of striker Carli Lloyd and goalkeeper Jill Ellis lured casual fans. The club rebranded twice, first to NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2021, then dropped the Jersey prefix after winning the 2023 NWSL title.

New York City has watched rival markets poach top women’s soccer events for years. LA’s BMO Stadium opened in 2022 with NWSL expansion side Angel City FC filling 22,000 seats regularly. San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium set a U.S. league record with 32,000 fans for Wave FC last March. Portland’s Providence Park and Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium have waiting lists topping 10,000 names, underscoring booming demand for women’s sports in purpose-built venues.

What’s Next

The city’s Uniform Land-Use Review Procedure (ULURP) requires 120 days of public review starting once Gotham files a formal application expected this summer. The Planning Commission, borough president, City Council and mayor all hold veto points, putting a final vote no earlier than December. Construction would take an estimated 24 months, meaning Gotham could kick off inside city limits by the 2028 season if approvals stay on current timeline.