NYC's first pro soccer stadium to be built in Willets Point, Queens

WILLETS POINT, Queens (PIX11) --- A stadium for the world’s most popular sport is coming to New York City’s most diverse borough.

The city’s first professional soccer stadium will be built in Willets Point, Queens, along with an affordable housing complex and hotel as part of a revitalization project to bolster the neighborhood, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

"This is what it means to get stuff done in New York City," Adams said at a press conference Wednesday.

The 25,000-seat stadium is expected to open in 2027 and will be home to New York City Football Club, the 2021 MLS Cup champions who currently play at Yankee Stadium, officials said. New York and New Jersey will be hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

The new stadium, which will be flanked by Citi Field and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, will be privately financed, the mayor said.

The city will also be building 2,500 affordable homes, a 650-seat school, and a hotel in Willets Point. New retail and public open spaces are also part of the complex. The housing units will be built by union workers, Adams said.

Officials said the project will create 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs and could generate about $6 billion over the next 30 years.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a brand-new neighborhood, a Willets Point that offers real opportunity for working people and all New Yorkers,” Adams said.