With grand designs of landing a place in MLS in mind, Sacramento have unveiled renderings of a brand new 25,000 capacity stadium in the Downtown Railyards area of the city.
The stadium forms part of the package that the Sacramento Republic FC owner group are hoping will lure MLS officials into granting the city a franchise. Currently competing in the USL, Sacramento Republic have been pipped to the MLS post on several occasions recently, first by Cincinnati and then by Nashville. The MLS board will meet in Los Angeles in two weeks to discuss adding a 28th team to the league, and it’s believed that Sacramento and St Louis are the frontrunners for the slot.
As far as the design goes, the west side would have a plaza-like feature called The Canopy, near the top of the stadium, with the intention being to give the stadium its own unique identity. The site also includes plans for an entertainment district adjacent to the stadium to extend use beyond game days for fans and visitors year-round.
“The new renderings demonstrate our continued forward progress on our MLS bid and how much work is taking place behind the scenes,” said Republic FC President & COO Ben Gumpert. “The additions to the existing stadium design provide an even better fan experience, including 360-degree circulation and lookout points from our stadium to our river and our downtown skyline. This has always been about building something that showcases the best of Sacramento and that remains core to our design.”
If awarded an expansion slot by MLS, Republic FC could begin construction on the stadium immediately with an estimated completion date in 2021. Both Republic and city officials have maintained the stadium would be privately financed, though the city might make a contribution in the form of developing surrounding infrastructure.
