NYC F.C. Soccer Stadium Tops Out

New York City’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium is on track to open by mid-summer 2027 in time for Major League Soccer’s regular season. The 25,000-seat stadium, named Etihad Park, is located across the street from Citi Field in Willets Point, Queens. It is being privately financed by the New York City Football Club (NYC F.C.) and built by union labor.

The all-union workforce comes from Local 3 IBEW, Local 1 Plumbers, SMART Local 28, Local 45 Carpenters, Local 79 Laborers, Local 638 Steamfitters, Local 731 Excavators, Local 1456 Painters, DC9 Painters, and Local 46 Metallic Lathers. It will be operated by service workers represented by SEIU 32BJ and UNITE HERE Local 100. Members of Iron Workers Local 361 installed the final steel beam in the stadium’s structure at the topping-out ceremony on Wednesday, March 25th. NYC F.C. ownership, fans, elected officials, community members, labor leaders, and hundreds of union tradesmen and tradeswomen attended the ceremony on the stadium grounds.

“Today's topping out is yet another testament to the dedication and skill of the union tradesmen and tradeswomen who have been entrusted with this project that will not only provide New York City its first soccer-specific stadium, but also create thousands of family-sustaining careers and much-needed community reinvestment in Queens,” Building & Construction Trades Council President Gary LaBarbera said.

The soccer stadium is just one part of the Willets Point Redevelopment that will transform the area, once infamous for its chop shops and junkyards, into a neighborhood with a 650-seat public grade school, 20,000 square feet of retail space, a 250-room hotel, and new public open space. Overall, it is expected to create 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs.