Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced last Friday that his administration is taking the next step toward a formal feasibility study for a multi-purpose soccer stadium in Albuquerque. This follows a request for proposal (RFP) process initiated in September and funded by the 2020 Legislature.
According to a news release from the Mayor’s Office, the RFP calls for a three-phase feasibility review. The process will eliminate sites immediately ruled “unworkable,” analyze remaining sites, and dive deeper into due diligence on the final preferred site.
The City’s vision for the stadium project is a 10,500 to 15,000 seat multi-purpose stadium with a natural grass field. It may also house an art or cultural center for exhibits, community events, or retail space. The first step of the feasibility study is to identify a five- to ten-acre plot of land for the projects, ideally close to the I-25 and I-40 interchange, Keller said Friday.
The stadium would be the future home of the New Mexico United professional soccer team, which currently leases Isotopes Park for home matches. The team played its 2020 season entirely on the road, due to COVID-19 restrictions that did now allow such gatherings.
Creative Arts Agency Icon was selected by the City from among seven firms that responded to the September RFP and will head to City Council for approval next.
Read the full news release here, and find an Albuquerque Business First article, complete with a conceptual rendering of what the facility could look like, here.
“The Chamber supports the building of a multi-use soccer stadium and home for the NM United. We believe that such a project could serve as a catalyst for downtown transformation and revitalization,” said Del Esparza, Chair of the Chamber’s Downtown Transformation Bold Issue Group. “It’s the Chamber’s strong belief that this stadium should be located in the downtown area for maximum benefit to the city.”