ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The city is asking the state for $40 million toward a new soccer stadium for New Mexico United. This comes as the team says a poll shows strong support for a new stadium. The team says a random poll of about 300 people in Albuquerque showed 63% of them are for a new soccer stadium 23% panned the idea.

New Mexico United Owner Peter Trevisani is aiming for a downtown stadium that would seat up to 15,000 people. The cost could top $75 million. The city of Albuquerque is asking lawmakers for $40 million this session to help kick start the stadium’s construction.

Trevisani also says he’s interested in working with the city to possibly get a bond question on the November ballot to raise more money for the project. The franchise thinks with those public investments, they could help round out the project’s cost with private dollars. “And so I think you start to put those three pieces together, the city’s ask of state government, a city bond, and private investment and we’re there. We’ve already raised $5 million to start, so we’re there before you know it,” said Trevisani.

Investment might be a touchy subject for lawmakers with the economic fallout from the pandemic. Trevisani believes a stadium would be a wise investment. “I can’t think of a better catalyst for our downtown economy, for the state of New Mexico than a stadium that attracts tourism, it attracts commerce, businesses will be built around it and it will just breathe new life to a section of our state that is desperate for that,” said Trevisani.

Last season, the team played all their games on the road because of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. If the team is allowed to play in New Mexico this season, they still need to nail down a venue. They have not been able to come to an agreement with the Isotopes to rent out the stadium.

During the 2020 legislative session, New Mexico lawmakers gave the city $4 million to study the idea of a stadium and for land acquisition. The development could also include shops restaurants and condos.