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New HOK-designed NYCFC soccer stadium wins planning approval as part of Willets Point redevelopment

2024-04-15T15:37:00-04:00

HOK has won approvals for its proposed new stadium design at Willets Point, Queens, for the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) MLS franchise.

The go-ahead was granted by City Councilors last week as the future anchor to the larger mixed-use Willets Point Phase II Redevelopment Plan development that includes a new public school and 2,500-unit affordable housing component, along with 150,000 square feet of public spaces adjacent to Citi Field at a site formerly known as the 'Valley of Ashes.'

Rendering courtesy HOK

At a cost of $780 million, HOK will deliver a two-tiered, 25,000-seat design (the city’s first purpose-built soccer stadium) built using local materials and featuring green design strategies like PV panels and stormwater retention. According to the architects, this will allow for its operation to be all-electric and net-zero, with annual emissions reductions equal to 12% within a year of the project's inauguration.

Rendering courtesy HOK

Construction of the Willets Point Re...

Proposal to bring New York City its first dedicated professional soccer stadium is approaching approval

2024-03-23T08:00:00-04:00

New York City’s first dedicated soccer stadium is becoming closer to a reality. As reported by Gothamist, the City Council is expected to approve the final phase of an ambitious project to revitalize the long-neglected Willets Point neighborhood in Queens through a mixed-use redevelopment.

In addition to the stadium, the scheme promises to deliver 2,500 units of affordable housing, including 133 homes for homeless New Yorkers, a 250-room hotel, a public school, retail, space, and public space. Designed by HOK, the $780 million, 25,000-seat stadium will host the MLS’ New York City Football Club. It is also expected to be the first-ever fully electric soccer stadium in the MLS.

Rendering courtesy of New York City Football Club

Phase I of the project, which includes 1,100 residential units, has been approved, with construction commencing in December of last year. Approval of Phase II, which includes the stadium and more housing units, is expected to follow through the support of city ...

HOK's $780 Million NYCFC Stadium plan pushes professional sports toward an all-electric future

2023-11-22T11:54:00-05:00

The proposed new stadium venue for the New York City Football Club (NYCFC) by HOK will be all-electric in addition to incorporating a number of sustainability strategies included in a press announcement that was made last week by the team.

The 25,000-seat stadium forms the center of a larger mixed-use redevelopment set for an area of the Willets Points neighborhood of Queens that is also being targeted for a proposed $8 billion new casino development and would be the MLS franchise's first dedicated facility after ten years in operation.

HOK intends to install a solar PV array on the stadium's roof and says they plan for a net-zero construction to match the franchise's 2040 commitment, achieving annual reductions of at least 12% after year one of the project's operation.

Image courtesy HOK

Other considerations include enacting a stormwater retention system and a zero-waste strategy. The stadium's green credentials are likely to inform the rest of the plan, which calls for a 250-room...

SHoP, Field Operations behind proposed $8 billion ‘Metropolitan Park’ mixed-use/casino development in Queens

2023-11-09T19:46:00-05:00

A group affiliated with New York Mets franchise owner Steve Cohen has revealed a proposal for a new mixed-use entertainment district and casino that would occupy a transforming portion of the Willets Point, Queens neighborhood if approved.

The $8 billion proposal covers 50 acres (20 of which will be dedicated open space) and will include designs from SHoP Architects, Fields Operations, and Jeffrey Beers International. The site is located adjacent to another development that was announced in May and is being master planned by HOK to create the first-ever dedicated professional soccer facility in New York City. The plan calls for a hotel, multiple restaurants or bars, a conference space, gardens and athletic facilities, a music venue, and a food hall for local vendors.

Speaking in a press release, Cohen said: “When I bought this team, fans and the community kept saying we needed to do better. Metropolitan Park delivers on the promise of a shared space that people will not only want t...

HOK reveals Willets Point Revitalization Plan and NYCFC stadium design

2023-05-11T18:25:00-04:00

HOK’s plans for a new mixed-used development and soccer stadium in Willets Points, Queens, have been released following the project’s announcement last month.

The 25,000-seat new home of New York City FC will come with 2,500 units of “100% affordable” housing plus a public school, hotel, retail component, and over 40,000 square feet of open public space. Plans call for a “future-foward” stadium design that will become a model for sustainability. The overall project also ties in with Mayor Eric Adams' comments about his administration’s intentions to create a “City of Yes.”

Image courtesy HOK

“The design of NYCFC’s new stadium celebrates diversity, community, and the love of the sport, creating a hospitality-driven experience unique to its location in Queens, the world’s borough,” HOK principal and senior project designer Rashed Singaby said in a statement. “Our design team has created a sustainable, technology-driven experience and integrated the stadium into the context of a future ...

New York City Football Club selects HOK to design $780 million new soccer stadium in Queens

2023-04-21T14:12:00-04:00

The first dedicated soccer stadium for New York City FC will be designed by HOK, the team announced this week as it previewed its plans for a new mixed-use district in Willets Point, Queens.

The ten-year-old MLS franchise has been playing its home matches at Yankee Stadium since 2015 and will soon move into its new privately-financed 25,000-seat home that forms the centerpiece of a development that will include 2,500 units of affordable housing, a hotel, and a 650-seat public school.

"The stadium will embody New York’s dynamism and cultural diversity and become a vibrant example of urban placemaking," said HOK principal Rashed Singaby. "Our design will embrace the multi-faceted identity of Queens, Flushing Meadows, and the site’s industrial heritage, offering fans an unprecedented, hospitality-driven game-day experience while integrating into the local community as an everyday asset."

Conceptual rendering for Willets Point. Credit: S9 Architecture

Turner Construction will join the fi...