MLS expansion hopeful FC Cincinnati released design renderings for their proposed soccer-specific stadium on Monday, unveiling a 25,000-seat, horseshoe-shaped concept inspired by Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
The design features a canopy on all four sides and a façade that can be illuminated with LED lights reflected off of translucent material, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Designed by architect Dan Meis of MEIS Architects, the venue could expand to hold up to 30,000 with berm seating in one end of the closed-in horseshoe.
While they have a design, FC Cincinnati does not yet have a site secured for their proposed $200 million stadium, which they are seeking to fund through a public-private partnership. The USL club, which currently plays at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium, is currently considering three sites: one in Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood, another in the city’s Oakley neighborhood and a third just across the Ohio River from downtown in Newport, Kentucky.
Club president Jeff Berding said at the design unveiling event on Monday that he hopes to break ground on a stadium by early spring 2018, with an eye on opening in time for the 2020 MLS season. The stadium would only be built if Cincinnati is awarded an MLS expansion franchise.
FC Cincinnati are one of 12 groups vying for four MLS expansion spots. The league has said that the first two expansion teams will be awarded by the end of the year and will join MLS in 2020.
