ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico United is a little bit closer to getting their own stadium. The state is giving the team a nice little chunk of change to get the ball rolling on their stadium plans.
New Mexico United players like Devon Sandoval are pumped up about the next step toward getting a stadium of their own. “I am very excited,” Sandoval said. “We want our own home. We want our own field.”
In this legislative session, lawmakers approved more than $4 million in capital outlay for the team to come up with designs and acquire land. “It sends a signal that we are going to be pushing forward with the stadium,” United CEO Peter Tresvisani said.
Trevisani said they are doing site surveys all across Albuquerque this spring. “Personally, I would like to see it downtown somewhere,” Sandoval said. “I feel like it would bring so much good and positivity.”
“I would like to see it downtown or in the Sawmill area,” fan Billy Price said. “Somewhere that is easy to get to, but also has other things around it.”
Trevisani said he expects to have a place picked out sometime this summer, and he hopes to break ground by this time next year. He said stadium construction could possibly cost another $60 to $80 million.
“We don’t have a big company that can put this team on its back or one source of revenue,” Trevisani said. Trevisani said he has already put hundreds of thousands in private investments into the project so far.
News 13 asked the Mayor’s Office how much the city would be willing to pitch in and where that money would come from. They said that is something they will work out in the future with the team, the state, and private sector.
United led the United Soccer League in attendance last year, averaging around 13,000 a game.
The team reports that legislators from across New Mexico contributed to the project and credits Representatives Antonio Maestas and Javier Martinez along with Senators Jacob Candelaria and John Sapien with gathering bipartisan support for the project.
“I am proud to have demonstrated to my fellow policymakers the overwhelming benefits that a Sport and Cultural Center would bring to our state,” said Rep. Candelaria in a press release. “This is a project we can not only be proud of, but a project that will attract and retain talent, drive business growth, and deliver long-term economic impact.”
“The leadership these four showed was simply extraordinary, to recognize what United has come to stand for and mean to New Mexicans all across our state,” said New Mexico United CEO and President Peter Trevisani in a release. “While we still have a long way to go and need to stay vigilant, these funds, coupled with private investment from the team, will be enough to evaluate, design, plan and even secure land that will ultimately place a Sport and Cultural center in the heart of Albuquerque. What I love the most is that it didn’t just come from one party or one location. We saw bipartisan support from rural and urban districts, coming together for one transformative project.”
The team will use the secured funds to complete site feasibility analysis, economic impact surveys, and to plan and design land for the center’s site. The team expects to plan to determine a possible venue location by summer.
