Expansion NWSL team unveils plans for new downtown Denver women’s soccer stadium

By Canadian Press on March 18, 2025.

The expansion National Women’s Soccer League team that will kick off next year in Denver has unveiled plans for a new downtown soccer stadium.

The facility will be only the second purpose-built women’s soccer stadium in the league after the Kansas City Current opened CPKC Stadium last year.

The owners of the Denver team intend to build a privately funded 14,500-seat facility with an open end that looks out over green space, along with a future mixed-use entertainment district. The site is near light rail.

“Doing something iconic and authentic, doing it in a park, connecting neighborhoods, being close to downtown, those were all things that spoke to myself and the rest of the ownership group,” said majority owner Robert Cohen, CEO of IMA Financial Group. “If you want to build a stadium, this is the right way to do it.”

The architectural firm Populous is designing the stadium and the adjacent recreational area.

“It’s only fitting that the hottest ticket in town will be making its home on Broadway,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement. “This project at Santa Fe Yards will transform an underutilized eyesore into a recreational and economic hub where memories are made, culture is built, and championships are won.”

The Denver City Council is expected to approve the land deal for the stadium and the surrounding area in the coming weeks.

“We want to do something that’s unique and authentic to Colorado, and that when you see it, and you see that it’s a stadium in a park, you’re going to say `That’s the stadium in Denver, Colorado,” Cohen said. “We’re still in discussions with the city, and we want to be respectful of that process that we’re going through with them, but the plan is for the ownership group to pay for and build the stadium.”

Denver was awarded the NWSL’s 16th team earlier this year. The club has not announced where it will play while the new stadium is being built.

The NWSL currently has 14 teams. A club in Boston will join Denver in kicking off next year. Groups in Cleveland and Cincinnati were also vying for a team during the latest round of expansion.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press