By Tristen Critchfield, The Paper. — While the New Mexico United is cautiously optimistic regarding future plans for its own stadium, the franchise is still very much in a holding pattern.
In March, a group of state leaders including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller voted 6-1 to build a sports stadium and mixed income housing on the southwest corner of the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. That facility would presumably be the new home for the United, which has played at Isotopes Park since its inception in 2019.
“Obviously the plan that’s been pushed forward by the state and the designs we’ve seen are all really exciting,” United owner/CEO Peter Trevisani told The Paper. “Because it’s a public process, it sounds like (a request for proposal)-driven process, we’re just sort of following along like everybody else. As soon as there’s an RFP that would involve the New Mexico United, we’ll take a look and ideally be a part of that. So It does seem like they’re making progress.
“There is an RFP out there to do some site work. So we’re really excited that it seems to be moving forward kind of full steam ahead.”
The current hope is that the soccer club can move into its own facility within the next few years, though an exact timeline remains unclear. The long-term vision would be for the space to become a daily destination, not only for soccer matches, but for retail, entertainment and other events.
“It’s really the state’s timeline, but they seem really motivated,” Trevisani said. “…I think that as long as we’re breaking ground and moving ahead — whether we can play the first game in 2028 or 2029, that’s not going to be as important as it getting done and getting done right.
“But I think that certainly before we leave this decade, if things go well, we’ll be in a new stadium.”
Plans for a United stadium have hit roadblocks on two other occasions. A publicly-funded venue downtown was rejected by voters in 2021, and a proposed facility at Balloon Fiesta Park in 2023 hit a snag when neighborhood associations filed a lawsuit over concerns of traffic as well as light and noise pollution. That suit is still in the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
In a recent interview with the Albuquerque Journal, United president Ron Patel indicated that the franchise might not survive in New Mexico if it doesn’t eventually have its own stadium. While that statement was ominous, it isn’t far from the truth, according to Trevisani.
“We’re eight years into a 100-year vision. At the same time, I think what Ron is saying is, is it sustainable to continue to play in a baseball stadium? I would say the answer to that is no,” Trevisani said. “ There’s just too many challenges on every level. We’ve been able to weather them, but I don’t know if that’s something that anyone would really want to take on full-time, long-term.”