Dive Brief:
- A development group has revealed details of its plan for a $2.5 billion complex on the current site of Qualcomm stadium in San Diego, with a $200 million, 30,000-seat MLS soccer stadium at the development's core, according to ESPN FC.
- The entire SoccerCity project — which would include a trolley system, a 55-acre park and mixed-use developments — has a projected timeline of 15 to 20 years, but the stadium would be complete by 2020.
- Although the project will be privately financed, developers are seeking enough signatures to put the development up for a vote to gauge public support.
Dive Insight:
The SoccerCity plan also allows space for a future NFL stadium in case the city wins another franchise. The Chargers announced their relocation to Los Angeles last month after voters rejected a proposed tax increase to foot the bill for a portion of the proposed stadium and convention center development. The team will share the Rams' new $2.6 billion Inglewood, CA, stadium, which is currently under construction.
The group submitted its MLS application last month, and if approved, the Gensler-designed facility will be the home to the new franchise and the San Diego State University Aztecs football team.
However, there could be a scuffle over who gets to build at the Qualcomm site, as earlier this month another developer said he and other investors are ready to build a new NFL stadium, also privately financed.
Doug Manchester, builder and former owner of the San Diego Union-Tribune, sent a letter to the NFL informing them that his group could get a 70,000-seat stadium quickly underway for a new franchise, the Chargers or even the Raiders, which has seen some recent financial setbacks in its efforts to relocate to Las Vegas. Two major investors pulled out of the Raiders stadium deal, but the team said it has received interest from others willing to step in and provide financing options.
