Downtown Soccer Stadium (11th & Millwork Ave)

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 10:00 pm

A few renderings I don't think we have seen in the soccer stadium development agreement docs that are in front of the city council this week.

https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?ur ... fomaha.org

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Sun Oct 04, 2026 10:25 pm

Interesting that it has a few different options for the associated development plan as well

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:17 pm

having a stadium: great
thinking the stadium would look a little different: not as great. It looks nice, just doesn't seem like 5k people

nebport5 · Post by **nebport5** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:36 pm

Considering Morrison Stadium cost 13 million and looks nicer than these renderings...

well obviously 13 mil doesn't get you what it used to, but considering this will cost 100 mil more, yeah it's underwhelming.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:49 pm

Morrison is 23 years old. In addition to inflation, there's probably way more tech in a new stadium that was never in a stadium 23 years ago.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:52 pm

I think the agreement contains the first explicit declaration that the Owls will move to the Championship League following completion. Some stand-out points:

WHEREAS Union Omaha current plays in USL League One and Union Omaha anticipates that upon completion of the Stadium Project it will play in the USL Championship League

It also calls out the completion of the project as on or before Dec 31, 2028 with groundbreaking yet this year (2026).

A processional women's franchise will be established by 2031

Mixed use will be sold between $17-$19/sqft and construction on all lots within the project must be started by 12/31/31

nebport5 · Post by **nebport5** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:37 pm

Brad wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:49 pm Morrison is 23 years old. In addition to inflation, there's probably way more tech in a new stadium that was never in a stadium 23 years ago.

I hear ya. The times we're living in where $50 gets you half a tank of gas. It's just staggering looking at the contrast of how little a lot of money gets you these days.

Back in the early aughts people were freaking out about the cost to built the now very successful convention center. The expansion costs are what roughly a 1/3 of the original cost?

I want to go back in time as a legit Lyle Lanley and build Omaha a monorail system.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:39 pm

ok, yeah, for $113M, i would expect more. This looks like a $30M stadium. KC Current's stadium cost $117M and looks way better.

Even with inflation, what we are getting for the price tag doesn't seem to line up. Idk, I'll save my reservations for when it has been completed, but right now I'm disappointed.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:42 pm

OKC is building a 10k seat stadium for $121 million that I think looks like a more impressive facility. https://www.okc.gov/News-articles/MAPS- ... ium-design

I do wonder if we have some bigger infrastructure costs associated with our stadium project.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:53 pm

thenewguy wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:39 pm ok, yeah, for $113M, i would expect more. This looks like a $30M stadium. KC Current's stadium cost $117M and looks way better.

Stadium-specific hard costs are $105M for the Owls' stadium, so already about maybe $12M cheaper than the Current's stadium. Now add in inflation and the gap is a bit more understandable.

I'm sure the end product will be a quality facility for sub-MLS soccer. Let's worry about selling out this stadium on a regular basis first. Do we really want another scenario like Creighton baseball playing in a mostly empty 25k+ seat stadium?

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:55 pm

iamjacobm wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:42 pm OKC is building a 10k seat stadium for $121 million that I think looks like a more impressive facility. https://www.okc.gov/News-articles/MAPS- ... ium-design

I do wonder if we have some bigger infrastructure costs associated with our stadium project.

i agree

Stan · Post by **Stan** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 2:56 pm

That's a really bad design and all the other stadiums people are sharing make it look incredibly worse. It reminds me of Millard South's Buell stadium with the opposing seating completely isolated on the other side. There's far too much open area from the field view and enclosing the entire field would be better.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:27 pm

Here is the full budget breakdown for comparison sake. The seating and cover component is a fairly small part of the budget. Looks like the operations/store and pressbox/suite components are a big budget driver.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:51 pm

Maybe research will say I’m completely wrong but it seems like if you’re trying to build a loyal fanbase with a recently established team you should focus on general admission seating when building a new stadium. I’m sure the suites will bring needed corporate money but it seems like a misplaced priority for a newer team.

In a world where the common fan is getting more and more locked out Union Omaha could have made a huge statement in where they allocated stadium planning.

ita · Post by **ita** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:57 pm

Garrett wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:27 pm

Here is the full budget breakdown for comparison sake. The seating and cover component is a fairly small part of the budget. Looks like the operations/store and pressbox/suite components are a big budget driver.

Interesting. So the budget says east seating and canopy, but the rendering shows east seating with no canopy. Where's the canopy!? Haha. Anyway, yeah, it's disappointing when we compare it to other similarly priced stadiums. If I was in charge, I would spend a little less on the pressbox/pricey seats and team building and store to make more seats more desirable with canopy coverage all-around. That's just me though.

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 4:07 pm

I was surprised it's not going to be done until the end of 2028? Was that always the plan? I thought it would be by the end of 2027 or early 2028.

nebport5 · Post by **nebport5** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 4:38 pm

ita wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:57 pm
Garrett wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:27 pm

Here is the full budget breakdown for comparison sake. The seating and cover component is a fairly small part of the budget. Looks like the operations/store and pressbox/suite components are a big budget driver.
Interesting. So the budget says east seating and canopy, but the rendering shows east seating with no canopy. Where's the canopy!? Haha. Anyway, yeah, it's disappointing when we compare it to other similarly priced stadiums. If I was in charge, I would spend a little less on the pressbox/pricey seats and team building and store to make more seats more desirable with canopy coverage all-around. That's just me though.

Maybe tickets for the east side come with big branded owl umbrellas.

Of course, it should go without saying that "it's just a rendering" and ultimately it took a lot of hoop jumping to make the "stadium" a go. It's happening and even if it initially feels underwhelming it's still a big win and future expansion/upgrades seem like a matter of time given the quality of play and strong support for UO. One of those hoops is the turn back financing which limits what can be achieved at the start. All that said, I agree that fan comfort and amenities should be an important consideration from the start for attendance retention and growth.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 5:20 pm

ita wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:57 pm Interesting. So the budget says east seating and canopy, but the rendering shows east seating with no canopy. Where's the canopy!?

It might be in there in that first rendering? With everything painted black, it could be fading in to the shadows.

ita wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:57 pm If I was in charge, I would spend a little less on the pressbox/pricey seats and team building and store to make more seats more desirable with canopy coverage all-around. That's just me though.

Different leagues have press box requirements, so they might not have a choice on the size of the press box. As far as the pricy seats, they are usually guaranteed money because people buy them a year or more at a time so it can help teams budget.

ita · Post by **ita** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 5:26 pm

Brad wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 5:20 pm
ita wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:57 pm Interesting. So the budget says east seating and canopy, but the rendering shows east seating with no canopy. Where's the canopy!?
It might be in there in that first rendering? With everything painted black, it could be fading in to the shadows.

ita wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 3:57 pm If I was in charge, I would spend a little less on the pressbox/pricey seats and team building and store to make more seats more desirable with canopy coverage all-around. That's just me though.
Different leagues have press box requirements, so they might not have a choice on the size of the press box. As far as the pricy seats, they are usually guaranteed money because people buy them a year or more at a time so it can help teams budget.

Those are fair points. I know the suites are more of a sure bet when it comes to sales.

I would think we would be able to see some semblance of on in the second renderings, but it looks like there is none. Like these renderings would have to be at just the perfect angle to not be able to see the canopy, if it's there. Maybe there will be other angles, but I know in the original renderings released last year, the east seating did not have canopy coverage. I will be pleasantly surprised if the east seating has a canopy.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 12:08 pm

I know apparently a number of people on this forum are underwhelmed but the more I look at this I don't think it's nearly as disappointing as some would tend to believe. I like the clear sight lines and open pedestrian areas. I was primarily interested in ensuring that whatever was built had the most chance at success by being sustainable and upgrade ready. It looks like that is the case here. Make no mistake, this is very much a big win for this neighborhood and Omaha at large.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 12:15 pm

ita wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2026 5:26 pm

This rendering still looks better, in my opinion. I will still check it out no matter what, but it has a better feel to it

InTheRoom · Post by **InTheRoom** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 2:26 pm

For the pricetag, this is an unmitigated disaster. ~$25k/seat for a glorified rodeo grandstand.

jomaha9 · Post by **jomaha9** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 2:48 pm

I'm honestly torn on this. It is good that we are building a dedicated stadium for Union Omaha, but I am concerned it is too small for any alternative uses. I hope we will not look back on this 10+ years from now and say that we should have built something different.

jjjjhskr · Post by **jjjjhskr** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 2:59 pm

jomaha9 wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 2:48 pm I'm honestly torn on this. It is good that we are building a dedicated stadium for Union Omaha, but I am concerned it is too small for any alternative uses. I hope we will not look back on this 10+ years from now and say that we should have built something different.

I believe the design allows for expansion

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 4:08 pm

6,500 seat stadiums are pretty small at the end of the day, and construction costs have really only skyrocketed since this project was first announced, unfortunately, so I get why it's gotten worse looking over time. Better to have a place to start and be able to expand than to wait.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 4:20 pm

Garrett wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 4:08 pm Better to have a place to start and be able to expand than to wait.

100% this. If anything, these renderings should make it pretty clear that there will be obvious opportunities to surround the pitch in the future if the attendance demands it.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 11:26 pm

New DSM soccer stadium proposal at $60 million for 6,000 seats. https://www.businessrecord.com/plans-re ... d-stadium/

meliketrains · Post by **meliketrains** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 6:07 pm

These are the types of projects that get people screaming about developer kickbacks. What in the high-school stadium were they thinking with these renderings lol? All the other stadiums being built for either significantly less or the same but with massively improved seating and design is extremely sus. And these aren't random places, these are basically directly comparable economic markets. KC, Des Moines, OKC, etc.

What does Omaha get? A few rectangles that apparently cost dozens of millions each + some shitty bleachers with a cover. LOL.

omagrow · Post by **omagrow** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 7:47 pm

Exactly, those renderings are awful, and there's literally no way to justify that pricetag without massive waste and/or corruption involved.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:41 am

So as I understand it this thing will go to a public hearing on October 20th and pending approval that day it will be publicly announced as a go with a ground breaking date presumedly announced shortly after. I still think it's a win because clearly it appears very upgradable but admittedly there really is some discrepancy between some of the renderings on closer inspection. For example in one picture the east side seating area appears about half the length of the pitch and shorter and in another it appears to be the full length and taller. Also, is the east grand stand really just bleachers instead of actual seats? It's king of hard to tell between pics. I guess like Newguy pointed out some pics actually do look better than others so it is sort of difficult to really get a feel for what the final product will be. In any case, I do hope soon to hear more about this and get a better ideal what will actually be happening here. It would also be interesting to know via city council or notes or news media reportings how current economic circumstances might have come into play and if and how any of the site remediation costs might have played a part as well.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:53 am

omahahawk wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:41 am So as I understand it this thing will go to a public hearing on October 20th and pending approval that day it will be publicly announced as a go with a ground breaking date presumedly announced shortly after. I still think it's a win because clearly it appears very upgradable but admittedly there really is some discrepancy between some of the renderings on closer inspection. For example in one picture the east side seating area appears about half the length of the pitch and shorter and in another it appears to be the full length and taller. Also, is the east grand stand really just bleachers instead of actual seats? It's king of hard to tell between pics. I guess like Newguy pointed out some pics actually do look better than others so it is sort of difficult to really get a feel for what the final product will be. In any case, I do hope soon to hear more about this and get a better ideal what will actually be happening here. It would also be interesting to know via city council or notes or news media reportings how current economic circumstances might have come into play and if and how any of the site remediation costs might have played a part as well.

This is exactly what I noticed looking at the renderings. Some of them have stands that appear to be about half the field’s length on one side and other renderings show larger.

If you go back and look at renderings when this was originally announced compared to what they are building now you can see how sharply this project has fallen.

JDirte · Post by **JDirte** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:14 pm

I think it looks pretty cool. I like the dark color (is that brick?) and the use of the Union Omaha Neon green. Its a 5500 seat stadium? Its tough to wrap a stand all the way around on such a small stadium. I think its a nice solid design that can be expanded in the future.

Personally I don't really like the look of the KC Currents Stadium. It has the erector set, temporary seating type feel that just looks cheap to me. Union Omaha seem to look more permanent, that also fits downtowns vide. Kind of gives a Coors Field or Camden Yards Vibe.

Ultimately its a USL League One Soccer Team. Its not like its an NFL stadium. If USL continues to grow and their plans for promotion and relegation actually work and the league becomes a valid, respected second Tier league, Union Omaha can grow with it. I'd rather have a solid base then build a larger stadium that is essentially temporary seating. The most important part to be is getting an anchor for the new area IMO.

djc311 · Post by **djc311** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:58 pm

I think for the cost, it's "meh". It's a win to get a soccer stadium, but IMO it's a bit lackluster given the hype and expense. Funny thing is by the time it's reached mid-completion, costs will inevitably exceed what they state today.

Perhaps they can take some of the Memorial Stadium urinal trough funds to spruce up some areas of the project.

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 1:15 pm

djc311 wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:58 pm I think for the cost, it's "meh". It's a win to get a soccer stadium, but IMO it's a bit lackluster given the hype and expense. Funny thing is by the time it's reached mid-completion, costs will inevitably exceed what they state today.

Perhaps they can take some of the Memorial Stadium urinal troughs funds to spruce up some areas of the project.

Fixed it for you

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 1:18 pm

iamjacobm wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 11:26 pm New DSM soccer stadium proposal at $60 million for 6,000 seats. https://www.businessrecord.com/plans-re ... d-stadium/

see even that looks better.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 1:21 pm

thenewguy wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 1:18 pm
iamjacobm wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 11:26 pm New DSM soccer stadium proposal at $60 million for 6,000 seats. https://www.businessrecord.com/plans-re ... d-stadium/
see even that looks better.

I guess the question is will their final renderings look like that? Union's stadium looked pretty similar at one point, but is that all costed out?

BuildTaller · Post by **BuildTaller** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:15 pm

djc311 wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:58 pm I think for the cost, it's "meh".

I think this is it right here. We can debate the computer generated graphics, but it comes down to what do we get for the money.

ita · Post by **ita** » Thu Oct 08, 2026 4:44 pm

Garrett wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 1:21 pm
thenewguy wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 1:18 pm
iamjacobm wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 11:26 pm New DSM soccer stadium proposal at $60 million for 6,000 seats. https://www.businessrecord.com/plans-re ... d-stadium/
see even that looks better.
I guess the question is will their final renderings look like that? Union's stadium looked pretty similar at one point, but is that all costed out?

Yeah, I am wondering if these other stadiums are in the same phase from a planning/design phase as Union Omaha's. Maybe Union Omaha is getting less for the money, but maybe, these other projects are still in preliminary design and will change dramatically, either from a design standpoint to stay within budget or from a budget standpoint to accommodate a more ambitious plan. Anyway, we probably need to wait until all these projects are built out to make final judgments, even though currently, Union Omaha's is currently bottom rung compared to what's been shared.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Fri Oct 09, 2026 2:28 am

JDirte wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:14 pm I think it looks pretty cool. I like the dark color (is that brick?) and the use of the Union Omaha Neon green. Its a 5500 seat stadium? Its tough to wrap a stand all the way around on such a small stadium. I think its a nice solid design that can be expanded in the future.

Personally I don't really like the look of the KC Currents Stadium. It has the erector set, temporary seating type feel that just looks cheap to me. Union Omaha seem to look more permanent, that also fits downtowns vide. Kind of gives a Coors Field or Camden Yards Vibe.

Ultimately its a USL League One Soccer Team. Its not like its an NFL stadium. If USL continues to grow and their plans for promotion and relegation actually work and the league becomes a valid, respected second Tier league, Union Omaha can grow with it. I'd rather have a solid base then build a larger stadium that is essentially temporary seating. The most important part to be is getting an anchor for the new area IMO.

Thanks for the perspective JDirte. Makes sense when I think in terms of my HS football stadium maybe having a capacity of 5k and drawing comparisons between the two. Ultimately what will make or break the venue is the vibe of the event and the product on the field. Seems Union has a pretty good handle on both so I am expecting things will go well. Regardless, I do hope there is some revelation on exactly what the final design will be and how it was determined. Right now it still seems a little ambiguous. It would also bode best for the current fan base and any potential new fans for Union to be transparent at the public hearing and present a single cohesive, unified and definative set of renderings along with an account of exactly what were the circumstances and decisions that lead to the final design.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Fri Oct 09, 2026 1:20 pm

omahahawk wrote: Fri Oct 09, 2026 2:28 am
JDirte wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:14 pm I think it looks pretty cool. I like the dark color (is that brick?) and the use of the Union Omaha Neon green. Its a 5500 seat stadium? Its tough to wrap a stand all the way around on such a small stadium. I think its a nice solid design that can be expanded in the future.

Personally I don't really like the look of the KC Currents Stadium. It has the erector set, temporary seating type feel that just looks cheap to me. Union Omaha seem to look more permanent, that also fits downtowns vide. Kind of gives a Coors Field or Camden Yards Vibe.

Ultimately its a USL League One Soccer Team. Its not like its an NFL stadium. If USL continues to grow and their plans for promotion and relegation actually work and the league becomes a valid, respected second Tier league, Union Omaha can grow with it. I'd rather have a solid base then build a larger stadium that is essentially temporary seating. The most important part to be is getting an anchor for the new area IMO.
Thanks for the perspective JDirte. Makes sense when I think in terms of my HS football stadium maybe having a capacity of 5k and drawing comparisons between the two. Ultimately what will make or break the venue is the vibe of the event and the product on the field. Seems Union has a pretty good handle on both so I am expecting things will go well. Regardless, I do hope there is some revelation on exactly what the final design will be and how it was determined. Right now it still seems a little ambiguous. It would also bode best for the current fan base and any potential new fans for Union to be transparent at the public hearing and present a single cohesive, unified and definative set of renderings along with an account of exactly what were the circumstances and decisions that lead to the final design.

Besides the fact that it doesn't look like it would hold 5,500 (could be wrong), it has nothing to do with 'bigger is better' in terms of capacity. I'm ok if it has less capacity, but it looks like a glorified high school stadium in some aspects. Specifically, the non-canopy side looks like actual bleachers. The canopy side legitimately looks like some high school stadiums I've been to for my kids' football games (except for the fact there is a canopy). I know that the store, landscaping, field, etc, cost more, but strictly from a presence feel, it doesn't feel like it's worth the money they are quoting. As a point of reference, this is an Iowa HS football stadium, i believe Waukee.

What they presented doesn't feel much better than this. Maybe this stadium is worth $130M, but I doubt it. I could give two shits if there are 3, 4 or 5k butts in seats. But what was presented makes me feel the same way I felt when the first proposal for the civic came out. Just like..."that's it?"