North Carolina Football Club Announces Preferred Location for Entertainment, Sports and Athletic Complex in Downtown Raleigh; Releases Initial Stadium Renderings
Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 8pm
CARY,
N.C. (July 19, 2017) - North Carolina Football
Club is asking the State of North Carolina to enter into a dialogue to
facilitate a public-private partnership to build a mixed-use community
featuring an entertainment, sports and athletics venue that would be home to a
Major League Soccer (MLS) team. In partnership with Kane Realty, this community
will include conference space; office, hospitality and retail space; housing
and public parking.
The project's footprint is approximately 13 acres in the area currently known
as the State Government Complex, located within the boundaries of Peace St.,
Salisbury St., Lane St. and the N.C. Railroad easement.
"This is another important step in our pursuit of a Major League
Soccer Franchise," said North Carolina Football Club Owner, Steve Malik. "Our
vision is to make this facility a crown jewel for downtown Raleigh, providing a
world-class sporting and social experience for fans and the community. We are
ready to engage all of the relevant constituents, including our community
members, legislators, city, county and state officials, to address questions
and concerns and bring this vision to life."
The preferred stadium location was publicly announced at a press
conference in downtown Raleigh on July 19 during the visit of Major League
Soccer President and Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott.
Initial renderings for the proposed project were also released at the press
conference. The designs were created by world-renowned firm Gensler, a global
leader in areas as diverse as stadium architecture, design, planning and
consulting.
An economic development study, conducted by Economic Leadership LLC, has shown
that the combination of bringing an MLS expansion team, building a
soccer-specific stadium and establishing a mixed-use development for residents
to live, work and play could generate significant benefits to the local economy
and the state as a whole. Over the course of the next 17 years, this
public-private partnership is expected to provide a net present value of $2.8
billion to the state of North Carolina, generating $262 million annually in
state economic activity and create or support almost 2,000 jobs. In addition,
it could create an additional $5.6 million in state taxpayer revenue each year.
In January, North Carolina Football Club was one of 12 markets to
submit a bid to bring an MLS franchise to
the Triangle. Since that time, the club
acquired the rights to the Western New York Flash of the National Women's Soccer
League (NWSL), moving the team to the Triangle and subsequently renaming the
team North Carolina Courage. The organization also entered into an historic
collaboration with Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) and Triangle Futbol Club
Alliance (TFCA), resulting in the largest youth-to-pro soccer club in the
United States. As part of this agreement, CASL and TFCA have rebranded as North
Carolina FC Youth.
For more information about North Carolina Football Club's efforts to bring MLS
to the Triangle, visit https://www.northcarolinafc.com/mls.
About North
Carolina Football Club
North Carolina Football Club is the largest youth-to-professional
soccer organization in the country. The club is comprised of a women's First
Division team, North Carolina Courage (NWSL), a men's Second Division team,
North Carolina FC (NASL), as well as a Premier Development League team, North Carolina
FC U23 (USLPDL). The organization is also home to both Boys and Girls U.S.
Soccer Development Academies. The North Carolina Football Club is owned by
local entrepreneur, Steve Malik, and managed by North Carolina native and
longtime soccer executive Curt Johnson. North Carolina Football Club was
established in 2016 to bring the highest levels of men's and women's
professional soccer to the state. For more information, please visit www.NorthCarolinaFC.com.