ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The future of New Mexico United’s new soccer stadium is still up in the air. People living near the preferred sites revealed last week are already pushing back.
The soccer club and that study say the two preferred sites for a 10,000-12,000 seat stadium are both downtown. That has some neighbors concerned. “Part of me would love to have a stadium, but part of me is also conflicted because there are these huge gaps and there is active displacement going on within the community,” says Cati Ambriz.
United owner and CEO Peter Trevisani has made it no secret he prefers downtown for the stadium because the players live there and he said he believes it would benefit the area. He says, “Where it can be a positive impact for the community and be a catalyst for change and show so much more than brick and mortar.”
A study published last week identified two preferred spots. One is at Coal and Broadway, the other at Second and Iron. But not everyone is on board. “I do agree that the downtown area needs some sort of economic boost, but I feel like this is not the way to do that,” shares Ray Kim.
The city tells us it won’t make any determinations on a location until it hears from city council and the public. But as the council gets ready to discuss a bond issue to secure funding for the stadium, other concerns from neighbors include increased congestion, trash, and more foot traffic downtown.
Some locals say they’d like other potential sites to be considered. “For me, it just kind of raised a lot of different concerns; specifically the corridors they’re choosing to build this stadium in. You know, there’s a lot of historic architecture down there, historic neighborhoods, families that have been there for generations,” says Ambriz.
On Monday, a $50 million bond proposal will be presented to city council to build the multi-use stadium with a vote expected later in August. If city council signs off on it the proposed bond will go to voters in November.
