Batten down the 7 train!
Mayor Eric Adams will announce Wednesday that he’s backing a plan to build a 25,000-seat soccer stadium near Citi Field in Willets Point, Queens, that will be home to the New York City Football Club, The Post has learned.
Hizzoner’s kick forward comes just days before Sunday’s start of the World Cup Soccer Tournament.
The plan also includes a housing complex that will be built by Related Companies and Sterling Equities, whose owners, the Wilpon family, are the former owners of the Mets.
The stadium is expected to be privately financed, sources familiar with the deal said.
Even with the mayor’s blessing, the stadium would still need to be approved through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), a months-long process that will begin early next year and needs passage by the City Council.
Negotiations will include having a portion of housing be set aside for subsidized or affordable units for lower and middle-income New Yorkers, sources said.
The plan is expected to be unveiled at the Queens Museum.
A new stadium for the reigning MLS Cup Champions could be built by 2025, The Post previously reported.
The NYCFC has been nomadic playing home games this season at Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. So, the prospect of a permanent home would be fantastic news to their loyal fan base.
It likely also would be built in time for the 2026 World Cup which is being held in New York City and New Jersey.
“It’s welcome news,” said one source familiar with the plan.
“There’s community hiring promised and it looks like there’s going to be a decent number of parking spaces. Also there won’t be games [at Citi Field for the Mets and the soccer stadium] at the same time,” the insider said.
The source hoped the additional attractions would help garner support to boost transit options in Queens, including extending the M and the W trains.
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