Sacramento Gives Nod to New MLS Stadium

Sacramento, Calif., has approved plans for a new Major League Soccer stadium.

City councilmembers on Tuesday gave the green light to the private-public partnership that will move forward with plans to build an MLS stadium in the downtown railyards and develop the surrounding area.

Sacramento Republic FC and Los Angeles-area developer Ron Burkle plan to work together to fund and build the $252 million stadium. No taxpayer dollars will be used to build the stadium.

Burkle says he has plans to develop 17 acres near the stadium into a shopping district.

The Sacramento NBC affiliate notes that the deal includes $33 million in tax refunds, waived fees and administrative costs for the stadium.

“I'm proud that we negotiated a fair deal that protects the taxpayers,” Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “We're ready to close this deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) and expect we'll get great news soon. We've checked every box and more." 

The city estimates that the stadium would generate between 1,310 and 2,639 jobs, while infrastructure construction could generate between 108 and 245 jobs.

Construction on the facility won't begin quite yet, as the deal hinges on MLS, which will soon announce whether to expand to Sacramento or St. Louis. Team owners are expected to meet on April 18 in Los Angeles to discuss the next expansion team.