The Sacramento Republic ownership groups vows to build the stadium despite the major setback.
The owners of the United Soccer League’s Sacramento Republic franchise are reeling. California public money, around $90 million, that was supposed to go into building a stadium that was supposed to open in 2027 isn’t coming. At least not yet. Local residents and a labor group have stopped the creation of a special taxing district that was a key funding component of the development of a stadium-village in the Sacramento Railyards. The Railyards Public Financing Authority said there was a “sufficient” number of protests to pause the process of expanding the city’s Railyards Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District. California law said if at least 50% of residents or landowners within the proposed boundaries file protests, the PFA can’t move forward for a one-year period. More than 100 protests were filed. The planned building will seat 12,000 people but can be expanded. The United Soccer League is a Tier II grouping in the United States one step below Major League Soccer. The soccer team owners said they plan to go ahead with the stadium development and hope to open the venue in 2027. Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said his administration will continue to work on finding other revenue streams to get the stadium-village concept in the Railyards going without touching the general fund. If nothing materializes, McCarty will try again with the same funding mechanism in a year.
Once upon a time, Major League Soccer awarded an expansion franchise to the Republic FC owners and a stadium was part of the agreement. But Sacramento became a major problem when Ron Burkle, who would have provided a significant chunk of the expansion fee to the MSL and stadium construction, decided he didn’t want to be part of the Sacramento franchise. The MLS which awarded Sacramento a franchise on October 21st, 2019 withdrew the franchise offer on February 26th, 2021. The Sacramento soccer saga continues.
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Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty
