Can Soccer Stadiums Revitalize American Cities?

Hordes of fans poured through the entrances and into the merchandise store and concessions markets at the newly built Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and Rhode Island F.C. was set to play a nationally televised match against Hartford Athletic. The sellout crowd was filled with parents, children and hard-core hometown supporters who sported the club’s blue and yellow jerseys and T-shirts.

With 10,500 seats, the venue, which opened in May, is one of the most expensive lower-tier soccer stadiums in U.S. history.

To build the stadium, Rhode Island officials approved a deal in which the state would pay $132 million over 30 years. But a sticking point was that the project must also include mixed-use development with hundreds of housing units, as well as retail stores, along the adjacent riverfront land.

Rhode Island F.C. is one of dozens of professional soccer clubs in the United States that have looked to build lavish soccer-specific stadiums — a wave taking hold in small and midsize cities. The projects aim to capitalize on the growing professional soccer market, and provide new revenues for club owners and excellent game-day experiences for fans. Often located downtown or on prime real estate, they are promoted as catalysts for local business and neighborhood revitalization.