On Wednesday, December 4th, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Councilmember Francisco Moya, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, joined representatives from New York City Football Club (NYCFC) to break ground on Etihad Park. This groundbreaking project will bring New York City’s first soccer-specific stadium to Willets Point. The stadium, set to open in time for the 2027 MLS season, will also be the nation’s first fully electric professional soccer stadium.
The development represents a pivotal step in transforming Willets Point, a long-overlooked industrial area that will soon be home to a vibrant, mixed-use community. As part of a comprehensive $3 billion redevelopment, the project includes 2,500 affordable homes, a 650-seat public school, a 250-key hotel, and a significant amount of public open space, totaling over 40,000 square feet.
“Today, we are breaking ground on Etihad Park – our city’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium – for NYCFC to call home and finally deliver New Yorkers the soccer stadium they deserve,” said Mayor Adams during the groundbreaking ceremony. “This stadium is part of our Willets Point Transformation, building a neighborhood with more housing, public space, and a new school out of the Valley of Ashes.”
The Etihad Park project, which NYCFC entirely privately finances, is expected to generate over $6 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, creating 14,200 construction jobs and 1,550 permanent jobs. The project will also contribute to the city’s climate goals by being fully electric and sustainable, an essential step toward achieving a greener New York.
The project will include retail and office space along with the stadium and City Square, a multi-use community plaza. It also emphasizes job creation for local residents, with a focus on unionized construction jobs.
Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer, praised the project, calling it a “historic moment” for the city and the league. “We’ve always known that New York City deserves a world-class soccer stadium,” Garber said. “Today, we are one step closer to making that a reality.”
Marty Edelman, Vice Chairman of NYCFC, reflected on the long journey towards the stadium’s construction. “New York City Football Club committed ten years ago to build New York City’s first-ever, soccer-specific stadium in the five boroughs, and today’s groundbreaking of Etihad Park in Willets Point, Queens, brings us one step closer to delivering that promise to our fans and our city,” he said.
The Willets Point redevelopment has been in the works for years, and Councilmember Moya expressed personal pride in the project. “As an Ecuadorian kid who grew up in Queens, I could never have imagined this day. I’m proud that this stadium is coming to my neighborhood, creating jobs and opportunities for the next generation.”
The new stadium, alongside the broader Willets Point redevelopment, will contribute to the city’s economic growth and provide much-needed housing, public space, and jobs. The groundbreaking ceremony signifies the beginning of a transformative shift for both Queens and New York.
