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SD Loyal Reveals Stadium Plan at Sports Arena Site

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 07/13/20, 11:38AM EDT

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Modular stadium would seat up to 15,000 fans if Midway Sports & Entertainment proposal is selected by City of San Diego


A rendering of San Diego Loyal SC's proposed new soccer-specific stadium that could host as many as 15,000 fans as part of the Midway Sport and Entertainment District proposed to the City of San Diego. | Image courtesy San Diego Loyal SC

SAN DIEGO – San Diego Loyal SC unveiled plans for a new soccer-specific stadium that could host as many as 15,000 fans on Monday as part of a process initiated by the City of San Diego to redevelop the Sports Arena site in the Midway-Pacific Highway neighborhood.

This proposed stadium for SD Loyal would serve as the club’s temporary home for up to a decade as it continues to build its fanbase. The club also announced it would serve as a partner on the Midway Sport and Entertainment District (MSED) team, which is bringing a community-centric vision for a vibrant mixed-use space to revitalize an aging area of San Diego. In addition to the new soccer stadium, the approximately $1 billion project would also feature a music venue, housing, retail, restaurants and would be anchored by a new 12-acre public park.

The modular stadium is included in Phase 1 of the MSED plan, with plans to break ground in 2022. Once completed, the venue would become the welcoming home for SD Loyal while the team works with the community to secure a permanent location in San Diego.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Midway Sports and Entertainment District project and are proud to be asked to participate in such an innovative concept,” said SD Loyal President Warren Smith. “We want our club to continue to be a pillar in the community by creating passion for active sports and healthy living. We’re looking forward to the positive impact a project like this will have on the San Diego community by making it an even better place to live, work and play.”

Development on the project, designed by long-time San Diegans, would occur in three phases and is set to be completed by 2029 at no cost to San Diego taxpayers. The project would modernize the existing 48-acre Sports Arena site and serve as an economic catalyst for the entire Midway-Pacific Highway community, an area that spans nearly 900 acres and has been in need of redevelopment for decades. MSED would help transform the area into a new hub for housing and jobs, all within walking distance to the Old Town Transit Center.

“Our club cares for the growth of our San Diego community and the new district project provides a great opportunity to transform an underutilized area into a place that celebrates our passion for fun and fitness,” said Smith. “Our hope is that integrating with such a mixed-use space will help grow the fan base for not only the SD Loyal team but for soccer in general. San Diego is one of the largest soccer areas, and we want to reinvigorate fan passion for the sport.”

MSED celebrates San Diego’s leadership in the health and wellness industry, which already generates $6.8 billion in economic impact and supports 58,000 jobs throughout our region. MSED looks forward to working with the active sports technology industry in our region to make this project a place where they can show their technologies and allow the people of San Diego to use them.

The City of San Diego is currently hosting a virtual Open House from Friday, July 10 to Monday, July 20, and is encouraging input from the local community into the proposed projects. Fans and the community should visit sportsarenainput.org to view each design concept and then click on the survey portal to answer a few questions about which proposal they like and why.

The MSED team and its collaborators will hold a press conference soon to discuss the plan. The team includes the San Diego Loyal Soccer Club, Toll Brothers, David Malmuth Development, Cruzan, BRIDGE Housing, London Moeder Advisors, AVRP Skyport, Circulate San Diego, Challenged Athletes Foundation, and others.

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