NYCFC offers peek at bright future at Etihad Park amid rocky present

Standing inside the construction site of New York City FC’s new home, Etihad Park, as it’s coming together next door to Citi Field in Queens, it’s hard to forget that you’re in the Big Apple.From the supporters porch, fans will see the New York City skyline in the distance; the “City Square” will feature a food hall with local vendors from the five boroughs, and the venue will feature plenty of other “visual reminders that this is New York,” NYCFC chief operating officer Jennifer O’Sullivan said.Considering the nomadic life that NYCFC has had since its inception more than a decade ago, O’Sullivan explained that keeping that New York City flair was intentional.“It’s been so important to us because for 12 long years, we’ve been looking for our own home,” O’Sullivan said following a media tour of the construction site Saturday ahead of NYCFC’s 1-1 draw against LAFC at Citi Field.

“We want people to know exactly where they are when they come into this building, and so making it representative of this community and this city was really important to us.And I hope that when everyone comes through here, they feel like we succeeded in doing that.”Construction on Etihad Park is expected to be completed next spring, and the club is planning to host several test events before playing its first game in its new home July 17, 2027.While work on the new building is still ongoing, NYCFC officials touted the vision that was coming together on Seaver Way.

A number of seats had already been installed in various parts of the lower and upper bowls, work on the “cube” — a seven-story LED-lined entrance that is expected to welcome 65 to 70 percent of fans coming to the stadium — has been ongoing, and the grass pitch has already been installed and is expected to be completed before the cold winter temperatures arrive.However, a new stadium comes with affordability concerns, as fans across the sporting world have seen ticket prices increase.Tick...