FCC will present the initial stadium renderings and neighborhood plans tonight to the Executive Committee of West End Community Council, beginning the formal public review process
CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati today has released several images of the club’s initial concept designs for its soon-to-be-built MLS West End Stadium.
Designed by Meis Architects with local support from Cincinnati-based Elevar, the renderings and site plan were approved by club ownership on Friday and will be shown publicly for the first time tonight when they are presented to the Executive Committee of the West End Community Council.
The renderings FC Cincinnati has released feature a stadium capacity estimated between 25,500 and 26,500, depending on final design elements. On the west side of the stadium – along John St. – the maximum stadium height is less than 120 feet.
The stadium’s canopy roof is designed to go around the entire stadium bowl and completely cover all seating rows, a feature that will help enhance the fan experience inside the stadium while supporting noise suppression externally.
The roof and stadium façades are shown with Ethylene Tetrafluoro-ethylene (ETFE) foil technology, which allows for varying colors and patterns to be displayed on the translucent surface.
Seating-wise, the Bailey – the club’s designated supporters section – will be situated in the north end of the stadium with a capacity that almost doubles its current mark of 1,700 at Nippert Stadium. Premium seating, which includes suites and club space, is more than double current capacity at Nippert Stadium in the concept designs. The premium seating features allow for a broad spectrum of seating options, from affordable family-friendly offerings to various corporate entertainment options.
“We’re thrilled with the concept design for our West End Stadium and all of the work done by Meis and Elevar,” FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding said. “We’ve received tremendous support from the West End and the Design Committee and we believe we’re bringing a transformational stadium to Cincinnati. We know that the design process will continue and our final product will likely continue to evolve, but we are proud to share our updated plans.
“We believe our West End stadium will be a catalyst for the neighborhood, but also help position Cincinnati as a ‘City on the Rise’ on both a national and international scale,” Berding said.
The renderings and images released today are part of the stadium’s concept design, the first of four stages of design. Additional modifications and adjustments are expected to be made over the next few months before formal construction on the stadium begins in 2019.
The full concept plan will be presented to the City of Cincinnati on Nov. 19, 2018 for technical review.
The club’s formal submission of its schematic design, the second stage of design which will include further adjustments following a technical review, will be made to the city on Dec. 3, 2018.
The design development stage will continue into the first quarter of 2019 before a series of final construction documents are submitted ahead of the start of construction on the stadium next spring. The stadium is scheduled to open in March 2021.
The concept plan designs have been drafted after on-going dialogue with the West End Community Council and the city-appointed Community Design Committee.
After Tuesday’s presentation to the Executive Committee of the West End Community Council, the presentation will also be made before the full Community Council next Tueday, Oct. 16, and also be brought before the Community Design Committee early next week. Consultation with various city agencies has begun to help expedite the technical review of the stadium plans.
FC Cincinnati (23-3-7, 76 pts.) will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 13, when the team travels to Nashville to face Nashville SC at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT). The match will be televised live on WSTR 64 and streamed live on ESPN+.
FCC will enter the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs as the tournament’s number one overall seed as the regular-season champion. The Orange and Blue will begin play when they host the Eastern Conference’s number eight seed at Nippert Stadium at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20. Tickets are on sale now.
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. For more information about FC Cincinnati tickets - including 2018 USL Cup Playoffs tickets - call 513-977-KICK (5425) or visit fccincinnati.com/tickets.
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