The owners of USL Sacramento Republic FC are in the advanced planning stages of building a soccer stadium in the downtown Railyards that would “anchor a new housing and entertainment district" and "serve as a long-awaited spark for one of the nation’s largest urban infill developments,” according to Lillis & Biderman of the SACRAMENTO BEE. Republic Owner Kevin Nagle said that the stadium would “seat between 12,000 and 15,000 for soccer matches” and “cost between $100 million and $150 million.” The facility would be constructed in the same portion of the Railyards where the team had “planned to open a larger stadium” for a MLS expansion franchise before that plan "fell through." Republic and Sacramento officials “stressed they have not abandoned their pursuit of an MLS franchise.” Nagle said that the new stadium “could be expandable by several thousand seats” to accommodate an expansion team into MLS. A new soccer stadium hosting sports and live music could “finally represent the Railyards’ missing piece.” Nagle and a group of investors also are planning to “build housing near the stadium.” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he was "comfortable with public funds being used on infrastructure 'but otherwise (the stadium) has to be privately funded.'" Republic has played in what is now called Heart Health Park at the Cal Expo state fairgrounds since ‘14. The franchise has “regularly been at or near the top” of the USL for home attendance. Team officials and the mayor said that the stadium “should be replaced” (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/2).
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