Mayor Adams expresses continued support for NYCFC stadium project

Courtesy: NYCFC

By Chris Tsakonas

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attended his first New York City FC match of the season last Saturday at Citi Field, making a brief on-field appearance before kickoff. The mayor’s appearance was significant, as it comes just months after a proposal to build a new soccer-specific stadium in Queens was unveiled by the city.

For Mayor Adams, the project is a culmination of soccer’s continued growth and development in the five boroughs.

“Almost 25 years ago, you started to see young people learning more and more about soccer,” Mayor Adams said. “Now these young people are growing up in a soccer culture.”

Flushing Meadows isn’t a new place for NYCFC supporters, as Citi Field has been an alternate site for the club over the last few years - even hosting a couple of playoff matches. With a long history of soccer in the borough of Queens, Mayor Adams feels it’s the perfect place for City to call home.

“[Queens] is the world's globe,” Mayor Adams said. “You know, you have so many soccer players and enthusiastic people here because they came from countries where football means soccer, so we’re excited.”

In addition to the soccer stadium, the area surrounding Citi Field will undergo a broad redevelopment. One of the major features will be a 2,500 resident affordable housing development that will be located near the new stadium.

“It’s a real economic impact for the stores [in the area],” Mayor Adams said. “I would look at the housing that's going to come in - it's going to transform this entire community and area, [and] it’s going to bring a real economic boost to our city.”

That entire development will provide the backdrop for New York City FC’s new home, currently projected to open for the 2027 season. It’s the next step for a club that has seen plenty of success on the pitch, highlighted by its 2021 MLS Cup.

“They brought home a victory, and now we are gonna keep moving in the same direction,” Mayor Adams said. “This is a place where legends are made.”