LEXINGTON, Ky. — Exciting developments in Lexington, as the Lexington Sporting Club soccer team announced plans to build a new stadium within the city limits.
Once complete, it will feature men’s and women’s professional soccer at the same location as the club’s youth fields off Athens-Boonesboro Road and I-75. Construction on the $82 million project to build a permanent stadium for Lexington SC is already underway.
Initially, it will seat around 5,500 fans with room to grow in the future.
Once complete, the stadium will be home to Lexington SC’s men’s United Soccer League (USL) One team and the inaugural women’s USL Super League team.
“Our diverse city is one in which there are well over 150 different languages spoken. This tells you so much about why soccer is incredibly popular here,” said Lexington mayor Linda Gorton.
It’s a major investment for Lexington and Fayette County and expands on an already partially developed plot of land off Athens-Boonesboro Road.
“One of the great things about this location is it’s right next to the interstate, which gives really easy access in and out to people from other counties who might want to come here and watch a really good soccer game,” Gorton said.
The land is already home to seven youth soccer fields and once the pros move in, kids can practice alongside Lexington’s pro soccer team.
“It is one club with one logo for everybody,” said Bill Shively, primary owner of the Lexington SC.
Shively said the stadium will have room to expand to 11,000 seats should demand be there. The complex will also feature hotels and restaurants down the line.
“We’re going to invest a lot in this, and we hope this is going to be a legacy that everybody in Lexington can enjoy for a long time. This is about community, family and about the kids,” Shively said.
Lexington SC’s men’s team is coming off its inaugural season as a professional club in USL League One. Outside winger, Nico Brown says he and his teammates are excited to play on the pitch for the first time in front of even more Lexington fans.
“Honestly, it will be an awesome opportunity for me as a player as well as the community. I think playing in a stadium like this with pristine grass in front of a community like Lexington will be a life-changing experience for us as young professionals,” Brown said.
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., said the investment will create hundreds of jobs and generate up to $92 million in spending over the next decade. This comes after Kentucky and Fayette County saw a record year for tourism. Fayette County crossed $1 billion spent in tourism for the first time.
The club hopes to play games here by Aug. 2024. A name for that stadium will be announced later. Lexington Sporting Club currently plays its home games on the campus of Georgetown College.