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Report: MLS closing in on $300M stadium project in Queens, New York

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Major League Soccer's desire to have a second team in the New York market is well-documented, as is the fact that league officials have been working feverishly to find a stadium project in New York City that could make a second NY team a reality.

Now we know just how close to realizing that goal MLS actually is.

According to the New York Post, MLS is closing in on a $300 million stadium project in Queens, New York, with a 25,000-seat stadium expected to be built in Flushing Meadows, next to Citi Field and the Arthur Ashe Tennis Stadium.

Approval of a stadium project would make it that much easier for MLS to find an ownership group willing to spend the money MLS is hoping to generate from a second team in the New York market, though at this point it is unclear if there is currently an ownership group winning the race for a second New York MLS team.

What do you think of this development? Surprised to see the league making this much progress on a New York stadium? Still don't think the New York market should have a second MLS team?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. San Diego would be a great destination for Latin American players.

    With their new stadium, San Jose will also become very attractive. Rebranding to San Francisco would help even more.

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  2. I absolutedly agree with you. The Red Bull are not a New York City team. And let me expand on this point: This is the malady, not only in New York, but all around the US. The day when a soccer team from a city like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc identifies with these cities We Will Have US Soccer of great caliber. To me to pay players like Beckan, millions of dollars to come to the States to play is preposterous and useless, a total waste of money that could have been used in fomenting a solid increase in youth players. The major clubs and Whoever are in charge of the MLS should look into the matter i stated above.

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  3. So tired of hearing the PATH train is terrible and its such a long ride. It is 20 minutes from downtown NYC and 35 minutes from Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan. The PATH service is just as reliable as the subway. The simple fact is that NYers are too stuck up to go into NJ for a game. A second team will pay 300 million just for the land and the stadium will be sht. It wont be as nice as Red Bull Arena and you will complain about that too. Shut up and go support the team. It takes me over an hour to drive to Red Bull Arena, but it doesn’t stop me from going.

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  4. Southeast USA need an MLS team (Atlanta, Miami, Orlando or Tampa)Rowdies (Tampa) can use Ray James Stadium, cover the top seats so 30,000 can view. USA played Antigua/Barbuda there, (WCQ) in heavy rain and drew 20,000 I believe. Tampa has the soccer history (Rowdies in the 70’s and Mutiny (Valderama)Time to expand the league to 20 and then maybe 24. Then a second New York team could be the alternative (New York Cosmos, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Orlando City, Atlanta and Miami.

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  5. I’m a Jersey girl transplanted to Houston, TX about 20 years ago. I am an adamant supporter of the Houston Dynamo now. Growing up in NJ, I got so sick of everyone moving into Jersey and then calling themselves a NY entity! Even the Statue of Liberty is technically in NJ!Maybe if they called themself the NJ Red Bulls, they’d have more NJ supporters.

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  6. Also, there is very little parking at Red Bull Arena, making it hard to get there by car, And for a lot of people in the outer boroughs of the city, 90+ minutes each way in a crowded subway is not that appealing.

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  7. Yes, since all one has to do is look out the office windows of Red Bull Arena. This is no secret, it’s just puzzling. We have great supporter’s clubs who march to every match over the Jackson Street Bridge, who sing and dance for 90 minutes and make it a blast to attend every game.

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  8. The $300m isn’t charity from MLS. They’re just fronting the money for the rumored investment group(s) that will be announced later. It will likely all be paid back to MLS, plus interest, pretty quickly.

    I don’t think the league is planning to be in the stadium business longer-term than they need to, but I could be wrong.

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  9. Big stars want to play in big markets. To raise the level of attention the MLS receives in this country and to eventually attract the “Euro snobs”, MLS will need more major DP signings. NY teams are much more attractive for international stars.

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  10. Hell maybe they will have 5 teams each.

    NYC: Harrison NJ, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx

    LA: LA live / Staples Center, Hollywood/Westwood, East LA, Inland Empire, Orange County

    Both areas could certainly support it.

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  11. Yes, and that’s a GOOD thing. Maybe some day Chivas USA will put “Los Angeles” in their name so Euro stars know it’s in NY/LA, and then MLS will be able to attract at least 12 major DPs. And the more they attract, the more players will be exposed to non-NY/LA markets like Seattle, Philly, Portland, Toronto, Houston, etc. and maybe some of them will be willing to play there. Then we can have 30 major DPs, whereas right now the only places European stars know are NY and LA. This is all a good thing. But as usual, people put a negative spin on EVERYTHING… trust the dudes who run MLS, they have done a fine job so far.

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  12. Well then good thing you have a billionaire Indonesian owner, isn’t it? NY2 doesn’t have that yet so the league has stepped in to provide that $.

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  13. No they can’t be called Chivas NYC because NYC is an actual world famous city. Maybe they should go even bigger than USA. I’ve got it, Chivas North America!

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  14. The fact is that it’s down from last year (about 10%) and on par with areas with much smaller population areas to pull from.

    Going to StubHub, there seem to be plenty of tickets available for all upcoming games in the $20 range, so not a tough ticket.

    You can’t solve a problem you won’t acknowledge.

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  15. They tried Newark, It was a choice between soccer or Independent minor league base stadium. The dumb mayor at the time (James) when for baseball which is drawing in the 3-digits .

    RBA should have been down the street from the Rock( NHL Devils)

    If these markets are viable where re all the $$ people screming to go in there? Happen red anything.

    NY Cosmos all the way. Blame RB problems on poor management. Get someone in there to connect with the areas population. RB will succeed

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  16. NY gets a 2nd team because of sponsorship dollars.

    Who knows, 5-10 years from now NY & LA might have 3 teams each. Just warning some of you in advance

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  17. Go Cards!

    I %100 agree. I commute to Chicago and Columbus multiple times every year to catch Fire/Crew games. The 3 hour commute each way is never easy, but it’s always worth the trip to see a professional soccer game. However, New York is a different place. If it can’t be accessed easily, people aren’t going to spend their time getting there. Chicago is a perfect example of just how different New York is from any place else. Bridgview is 45 minutes from downtown (and that’s before the horrible traffic getting into and out of the stadium) but that doesn’t stop +15,000 people from attending each game.

    I’m not making excuses for the lack of support for the Red Bulls, but like it or not that’s just the way it is there.

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  18. Maybe so, but if I am about to invest $100+mil base around customers where would you choose FLA , or ATL? neither supports currents, See marlins new park and all, or NYC. Come on seriously the last opportunity to bring team in the area.

    The people with the flo charts don’t agree with you

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  19. your emotions re clouding your judgement because I better your are quality individual. NYC isn’t being handed anything. It’s called an investment. Look at it this way

    MLS spents $300mil
    They get $100mil fee (francise) to begin with.

    Now it is unclear who will retain ownership of stadium, less say MLS does, think of Friendlies, International & National, exhibition, concerts & other events in an urdan re with 10+ mil people, in a tri-state.

    It that really a bad investment?

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  20. The MLS is putting another team in New York so the networks can show a New York team playing on TV as much as possible.
    The amount of people attending the games is secondary.
    The MLS doesnt care about that as much.
    American sports are about big market teams. Plain & simple

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  21. BSU, sounds like you may be a Cardinal fan as well! I have no idea how many times I’ve commuted to Columbus and Chicago for games, hearing New Yorkers bitch about driving time is ridiculous. If you are a fan than get to the stadium, there are tons of us soccer fans out here that would do anything for a team closer to their home.

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  22. why the hand wringing? I m a life long NYer in Brooklyn. Over the pass 3yrs I have seen RB ads in BK twice ( on buses, & a billborad @ atlantic Ave next to Barclays Center. Nothing this years. Does that help u understand why RB draw less from the city. Why do you think they keep firing the business Pres? Don’t know why they advertise in Jersey, they don’t do spit in NYC

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  23. Look, don’t take this personally. I don’t disagree with your passion about fandom and the games themselves. As a season-ticket holder who drives 120 miles to games, that is essential to my experience or I wouldn’t do it.

    If you want to ignore the business side of the league, and write long-term planning and benchmarking off as faith-based, demonstrated stupidity, be my guest.

    I want a team in St. Louis, but they’ll be hard-pressed to ever get one, and it’s not because STL lacks passion, history, fans, etc., etc., etc.

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