A $300 million Major League Soccer stadium complex that would need to be finished by the 2026 season is being proposed for downtown Albany.
The 8,000-seat stadium around the corner from MVP Arena would be home to an MLS Next Pro club team, owned by Business for Good founders Ed and Lisa Mitzen. The third-tier league aims to expand the footprint of MLS in cities across North America. Jeff Buell with Redburn Development says it would create a new neighborhood.
“A new neighborhood that transcends the parking lot district right now and becomes a connection point between the south end of Albany and downtown Albany and the beacon that draws everyone in,” Buell said.
In addition to the stadium, the complex would also include housing and retail space. Buell says he doesn’t doubt the success of another sports team in the region. One of the most recent professional teams in the area, the Albany Empire, an indoor football team, folded after three seasons when the team was bought my former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown. In a revival, the Albany Firebirds now call the MVP Arena home.
“You're investing right now in a team that is online, or in a league that is on the upswing, right? Major League Soccer is only 30-years-old,” Buell said. “This is like investing in Major League Baseball in the 40s. Or investing in the NFL in the 60s. Soccer is the way of the future.”
Albany is also home to a professional indoor lacrosse team, the Firewolves, who also play at MVP Arena. Buell says in the coming months, financing for the multi-million-dollar stadium will be discussed with public and private investors.
Ed Mitzen, founder and CEO of the marketing agency Fingerpaint, says a team name is in the works.
“The guys have Fingerpaint have come up with the name, we're not ready to release it,” Mitzen said.
The league is in its third season and has 29 teams. Mayor Kathy Sheehan says the proposal would boost the city’s economy while preserving its history.
“It envisions that the E commerce buildings will be able to be rehabbed rather than torn down,” Sheehan said. “That's the goal. Until they get in there and really understand the structurals, we can't make any guarantees. But that has been a concern of a lot of folks who want to ensure that we preserve as much of this site as we can. And the other thing that's exciting is that Historic Albany Foundation owns the oldest building in the city, which is adjacent to this site. And they are envisioning bringing their parts warehouse there.”
The Democrat says as the state continues to make investments in new technologies like AI and semiconductor chips, it’s important to supplement the jobs with entertainment to further attract people to the region.
Sheehan says the more than eight-acre site is a blank slate ready to be reimagined.
“It took a long time to accumulate those properties. But they are now within our control and they are owned by our economic development arm and so we can move very quickly to not only get the sports arena built, but to also build around it so that it is not just an arena sitting in the middle of those empty parking spots,” Sheehan said.
The proposed site is adjacent to the Dunn Memorial Bridge and winding ramps connected to Interstate 787. Assemblywoman Pat Fahy of the 109th District says the stadium fits with a reimagined 787.
“The critical piece of this is that the stadium is one part of this redevelopment of the nine acres, and also tied to the retail, and more importantly, the housing hundreds upon hundreds of units of housing are proposed here,” Fahy said.
The Democrat criticized the Buffalo Bills’ new $1.7 billion stadium saying it was not tied with urban revitalization. She says this proposal is focused on reconnecting Albany with its waterfront.
“Either way we have costs ahead,” Fahy said. “We just want to make sure those investments really take the creativity of doing something different with 787 and ensuring that we reconnect with our waterfront.”
If the project moves forward as planned, the stadium would open by June 2026.
