Sac Republic FC Releases New MLS Stadium Renderings (Slideshow)

Source: Sacramento Business Journal, Ben van der Meer
Photo: Looking southwest, this rendering shows the stadium against a developed Railyards area, with downtown Sacramento and West Sacramento farther in the background.

New renderings for a Major League Soccer stadium in the Railyards development suggest local momentum is building again toward a potential expansion team.

Sacramento Republic FC released the renderings Tuesday with a handful of design changes intended to make the project more fan-friendly and distinctive.

“I can tell you without a doubt that when it opens, it’s going to be one of the most unique, exciting arenas in MLS,” said Gerardo Prado, a sports practice leader with architectural firm HNTB. “It’s going to be quite an experience.”

The new renderings come before the new ownership group for Sac Republic — the entity vying to get an MLS nod — appears in front of the Sacramento City Council in the next few weeks to talk about a new term sheet for the stadium project.

In general terms, the project is the same as outlined in a 2015 term sheet between the Republic and the city: a stadium of up to 25,000 seats in the Railyards, east of Seventh Street.

But Prado and others involved with the new stadium said there are also differences. Prado, who worked with the Republic and HNTB offices in Kansas City and Los Angeles for the revised stadium, said many of the changes are in the interior.

Most obviously, the west side of the stadium would have a plaza-like feature called The Canopy, near the top of the stadium. Prado said The Canopy meets a long-discussed goal of having a unique feature atop private suites.

“It’s a more social environment for fans,” he said. “The roof terrace is definitely an important amenity that will make a big difference.”

Project partners have also worked to improve the concourse around the stadium, he said, and adjusting the bowl seating to create more intimacy.

Those new features will bump up the price tag on a project previously pegged at $180 million, Prado and Republic officials said. It’s not yet known how much the price will increase. But Prado said while some other changes are possible, he’d expect the final stadium to closely resemble the new renderings.

“We spent a lot of time over the years refining the design,” he said. The latest renderings stem from discussions that began after Ron Burkle and Matt Alvarez came on board over the last year as new investors, with billionaire investor Burkle purchasing a controlling interest in Sac Republic FC.

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.

In addition to the Sacramento City Council, team officials expect to meet with MLS brass again at a league board meeting April 18.

While MLS is not expected to make an announcement on a new expansion city then, league officials have signaled they expect a decision this year. St. Louis and Sacramento are the leading contenders to get a new team, league commissioner Don Garber told media in St. Louis last month.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2019/04/02/sac-republic-fc-releases-new-mls-stadium