New York City Football Club (NYCFC)
HR&A served as development advisor to Major League Soccer (MLS) to establish a new professional soccer stadium in New York City, leading site selection, design planning, and public approval processes. Our comprehensive development strategy enabled MLS to secure its 20th franchise with New York City Football Club, generating a record $100 million franchise fee at the time of the transaction.
MLS faced the complex challenge of identifying and developing a suitable stadium site in one of the world’s most competitive real estate markets while navigating New York City’s intricate regulatory environment. HR&A established key parameters for site selection, created a shortlist of potential locations, and led a multidisciplinary team of specialists through evaluation and design phases. We narrowed the search to a priority site and oversaw complex stadium design and site planning, ensuring all technical and regulatory requirements were addressed.
HR&A served as lead liaison to City agencies throughout the public review process, developing a strategic replacement parkland plan and managing public relations efforts to build community support. Our work successfully positioned MLS to establish New York City Football Club in partnership with Manchester City Football Club and the New York Yankees in 2013. The new franchise generated a record $100 million fee—more than twice the highest previous MLS franchise fee—and began its inaugural season at Yankee Stadium in March 2015, bringing professional soccer to New York City for the first time in decades.
