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A rendering of the new Union Omaha soccer stadium. It will have 7,000 fixed seats and will be the centerpiece of an 18-acre mixed-use residential and entertainment district in downtown Omaha. (Courtesy of Alliance Sports)
Cindy Gonzalez
nebraska state examiner
OMAHA — The new 7,000-seat Union Omaha Soccer Stadium will be the centerpiece of a planned $300 million residential and entertainment district unveiled Thursday for the downtown riverfront area of Nebraska’s largest city. .
The outdoor stadium will be home to the state’s first and only professional soccer club, which has shared Sarpy County’s Werner Park with a minor league baseball team.
Ready to take shape southeast of Abbott Drive and Riverfront Drive, the new development will feature two other major entertainment and sports facilities: the CHI Health Center arena and convention center, and the College World Series It will be located near Charles Schwab Field, home of the United States.
The project also aims to create a future women’s soccer team based at the stadium. A youth development academy is also planned.
“Professional soccer continues to evolve and grow in the United States,” said Union Omaha President Marty Cordaro. “Why not Nebraska?”
The stadium also hosts concerts and community events.
If all goes according to plan, ground will break this fall and the stadium will open to the public in spring 2026. The stadium will span about half of the 18-acre district.
Envisioned as an “intimate” venue, Cordaro said construction costs for the stadium alone are estimated at $60 million, not including land acquisition and infrastructure costs.
When the Owls are not playing, the facility’s artificial turf hosts concerts and other special events.
Restaurants, bars, shops, a 140-room hotel and more than 300 residences will be built across the grounds, which are expected to further enhance the local and regional community.
City officials say the project will further boost downtown development, which includes a recent multimillion-dollar investment to add three public parks, a new world-class science museum and live music. This includes a complete refurbishment of the venue. Construction is underway on a $600 million Mutual of Omaha office tower associated with a modern streetcar project.
“It will create additional opportunities for business and recruiting, tourism, convention and meeting bookings, youth sporting events, and enhance Omaha’s reputation as a destination for sporting competitions and events that promotes it to a national audience.” said Mayor Jean Stothert.
Turnback tax as a financial source
The anticipated source of funding would be a “rebate” of state sales tax revenue available through the Sports Arena Facilities Funding Assistance Act. A bill introduced by state Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha seeks amendments to the bill to open up funding for outdoor soccer stadiums. Union Omaha representatives said this could generate $25 million over 20 years.
In addition, Union Omaha is considering tax increment financing and employment area occupancy tax enhancements that could help raise up to $50 million, according to Larry Bortel, co-founder of Alliance Sports, which owns Union Omaha. The plan is to seek approval. He said other development costs would be covered by private investment and the soccer franchise.
An economic impact study conducted in 2021 estimates that the stadium alone will have an impact of $99 million on the state of Nebraska and $168 million on the city of Omaha. Union Omaha officials say the surrounding development is expected to create 450 jobs and have a $200 million impact.
Cordaro said the project follows a model that has been successful in other cities. He said the development will be led by Houston’s Machete Group, which is behind projects such as the $500 million Orlando Sports and Entertainment District and the $1 billion Barclays Center in New York.
Soccer players are local celebrities
According to preliminary site plans, a hotel would be built just outside the soccer field. Pickleball courts and practice fields, known as “pitches” in the soccer world, echoed throughout the stadium.
Housing in the form of apartments and townhomes will be located along Abbott Drive, buffered by trees and landscaping. Several parking lots have been cut out.
Alliance co-founder Gary Green said the first 60 Union Omaha soccer players to move into housing in the area.
“Having our players living together on the same campus is a very important part of our winning formula,” Green said.
He said building a community and campus around the football stadium will add value to the team and fill in green space adjacent to the campus along the Gallup River. The 18-acre property is still listed under ownership of a Gallup affiliate, but Alliance Sports plans to purchase it, Green said.
Zoomer and soccer broadcast
He said based on industry data, the construction of the new stadium is expected to triple attendance for soccer teams.
Green hopes the campus will also aid Omaha’s efforts to attract and retain young talent and workers, given the growing popularity of soccer among the post-millennial “Zoomer” generation. He said there was.
“Everyone talks about Gen Z and making sure to recruit and retain them,” he said. “Gen Z is making a loud and clear statement that American soccer is their number one sport and is becoming increasingly important to them.”
Green added, “Young people want to watch soccer in their backyard. They want to see it live. Live soccer is important.”
In addition to the Owls’ professional soccer schedule, Union Omaha also has women’s soccer games, high school and college games, and a “friendly” exhibition contest against the Mexican team.
“We will regularly host the most racially diverse sporting event in Omaha history,” Green said.
According to Cordaro, the idea of building a soccer stadium dates back to 2021, when a feasibility study began.
He said the study revealed that the focus area for soccer in the Omaha metropolitan area is north of Q Street and east of 72nd Street. He said the target audience is between the ages of 15 and 25 and represents a multicultural audience.
Cordaro said up to 50 locations were explored in the process.
West Omaha fans say they’re going for a drive.
Green said he has “made it clear” to the team that fans from west Omaha and the suburbs will be coming downtown to watch football in the new facility.
Green Partners and Alliance Sports Partners also own the Omaha Storm Chasers Triple-A team, which is affiliated with the Kansas City Royals. Other teams they own include the Richmond Momonga and the San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate team.
When Alliance launched Union Omaha in 2020, it became the 11th club to play in USL League 1, and the Owls quickly won the USL League 1 Championship in 2021. Green said the team has the best winning percentage in the league since its inception.
League One is a men’s professional league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation and is the third tier of American soccer.
Union Omaha officials said the Owls’ new addition will open the door for growth to a higher level of competition at the USL Championship level (United States Soccer Division 2).
“This project will advance professional soccer in Omaha and throughout the state,” Cordaro said.
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