n DEVELOPMENT
“For us, the interesting thing
is the stadium is only a piece of
that development. (Sacramento
Republic FC has) also purchased
the acres surrounding it so
they will create kind of an
entertainment hub, which
I think really is similar to
what’s being done in our district
here with the Golden 1 Center.”
~ Michael Ault, executive director,
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
was ranked eighth in the United States in concert ticket sales
for the first quarter of 2019 by Pollstar. “I think we’re moving
toward what could be a very different urban center than we
have been,” says Downtown Sacramento Partnership Execu-
tive Director Michael Ault. “It wasn’t long ago we were saying
‘Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.’”
That approach in downtown is providing a blueprint for
Republic FC, which is looking to develop a space as much for
events and activities as for the 17 regular-season home MLS
games each season. “We’ve seen it work very well at the Gold-
en 1 Center,” Ault says.
It wasn’t a hard decision for the city to pursue a soccer
stadium at The Railyards, particularly since Sacramento is
contributing no public funds to the project. The term sheet,
including the city’s commitment to provide $33 million in
fee waivers, tax rebates, advertising rights and infrastruc-
ture financing, was unanimously approved April 9 by the city
council. That’s in stark contrast to Sacramento contributing
$32 million in land and $223 million cash toward the Golden
1 Center’s $477 million construction cost, according to a 2017
city auditor’s report.
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“What was interesting to me was that there was little to
no opposition,” Steinberg says of the soccer stadium. “I think
the people saw that cost benefit in the same way.”
‘WE WANT IT TO BE ACTIVE ALL THE TIME’
Republic FC worked with architectural design firm HNTB to
make the 20,000-plus seat stadium unique to Sacramento,
including references to the city’s tree cover — the top deck
will be known as The Canopy — and the site’s history.
“You see a lot of the brick that’s carried through,” says
Ben Gumpert, president and COO of Republic FC. “You see
a lot of, sort of the brawn of, the (original) railyards archi-
tecture and the great history that railyards have played in
this city.”
Plans for the 31 acres owned by the team go far beyond
the 14 acres for the stadium, Ault points out. “For us, the
interesting thing is the stadium is only a piece of that de-
velopment,” he says. “They’ve also purchased the acres
surrounding it so they will create kind of an entertainment
hub, which I think really is similar to what’s being done in
our district here with the Golden 1 Center.”