Kansas City NWSL team owners Angie Long, Chris Long and Brittany Matthews joined with Port KC Tuesday to announce plans to build a soccer stadium specifically created for the Kansas City NWSL.
"[It's an] exciting day for KC, exciting day for our club, our players and our metro community. Certainly, an exciting day for women's sports globally," Chris Long said.
Final plans are in the works for the estimated $70 million project, to be paid for through private funding organized by the Kansas City NWSL owners. The team will sign a 50-year lease.
Port KC President and CEO Jon Stephens said in a statement that the stadium will help connect the riverfront area to the rest of the city.
“The goals for reclaiming our long-neglected riverfront have been bold but clear – develop a connected, accessible, vibrant and diverse neighborhood,” said Stephens. “Anchoring a dynamic facility such as this on the downtown riverfront, and connecting it to the heart of our city with the KC Streetcar, trails and greenspace not only solidifies our commitment, but also proves that there is no better place for our community and the world to gather.”
The stadium announcement comes almost a year after the ownership team was awarded a franchise and roughly a month after the team announced plans for a privately funded $15 million training facility in Riverside, Missouri, which is scheduled to open in 2022.
The stadium idea for a women's soccer team started while the Longs were in Paris, France, during the 2019 Women's World Cup soccer tournament.
"That was a pivotal moment for Angie and me," Long said. "We were there with our kids. I was there for almost a month. We got to witness not only amazing soccer, we got to witness fanfare on the global stage."
"This transformation goes beyond just this building in this project," Angie Long said from the offices of Port KC. "It's really a statement of how much we believe in Kansas City and it's how much we believe in these athletes."
Kansas City NWSL will finish its first season with a match on Oct. 30 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.
