United FC announces soccer stadium to be built at St. Paul's Snelling-Midway site
Minnesota United FC got its MLS franchise earlier this year, and now it has a home.
The Twin Cities team will build and play in a soccer stadium at the Snelling-Midway site in Saint Paul, Minn., United FC owner William McGuire and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced on Friday.
The new stadium will seat nearly 20,000 people and cost an estimated $120 million, which will be privately financed by the team. After construction, the site will be publicly owned and tax exempt, assuming the locally passed resolutions are approved by the state legislature.
McGuire and Coleman confirmed that the team and city will work together -- along with other important partners at the state and local levels -- to not only build the soccer venue, but also to redevelop the surrounding area and foster a vibrant community.
"By all measures important to soccer fans throughout the Twin Cities metro and the state, as well as the needs of the team and Major League Soccer, this is a great location for an iconic soccer facility that will house the MLS franchise in Minnesota," McGuire said. "Located between two great downtowns, situated along multiple transit options and the interstate, and in the heart of a dynamic community, this site provides us the opportunity to work in partnership with the city of Saint Paul and the local community to establish top-tier professional soccer that will be readily accessible to everyone."
Coleman agreed, calling it a "great day" for the city, state and for soccer.
"I am thrilled that the team wants to work with the community to build a stadium here in Saint Paul," Coleman said. "A soccer stadium will provide an important catalyst for the redevelopment of the entire area -- creating jobs, spurring housing and new commercial opportunities, and building on our commitment to transit oriented development. With an agreed framework for the construction of this stadium, we are confident that working with the community, our local and state partners and with one another, we can complete the process necessary to bring MLS to Minnesota."
Coleman and the Saint Paul City Council announced last week that they are searching for applicants to be on a 15-to-20-person community advisory committee steering the stadium project and representing broader interests.
In the wake of the announcement, MLS commissioner Don Garber offered his support.
"Today we are one step closer toward the debut of Major League Soccer in Minnesota," Garber said. "We believe the Midway location will be a tremendous home for Minnesota's new MLS club based on the site's central location, close proximity to a diverse millennial population, and easy access to multiple modes of public transportation."
