The Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise St. Louis City SC’s iconic stadium that is nearing completion in downtown St. Louis, Missouri (US) will be going by a new name moving forward, CITYPARK. The home for City SC’s historic inaugural Major League Soccer season, the CITYPARK will be a gathering place to celebrate the best of St. Louis.
‘St. Louis City FC’ quoted Carolyn Kindle, St. Louis City SC’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as stating, “After discussions with Centene (leading healthcare enterprise), we have agreed to reshape the current partnership with them and the focus moving forward will be on developing community health and wellness programing throughout the region.”
The St. Louis City SC is a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise that is expected to begin play in 2023. The club will be based in St. Louis, with home matches to be played at the CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri (US).
The CITYPARK is a 22,500-seat soccer-specific stadium under construction in St. Louis, Missouri (US). It is the future home of St. Louis City SC, the City’s expansion Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. Earlier, the under construction facility was known as the Centene Stadium.
St. Louis, Missouri (US)-based Centene is a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. It provides a full spectrum of managed healthcare products and services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare and commercial products.
‘St. Louis City FC’ further stated that as the team looks to fuel St. Louis’ continued growth and renaissance, the CITYPARK will reflect many of St. Louis’ most amazing attributes, including its diverse neighborhoods, growing culinary scene, innovative technology, inviting landscape, and renewed spirit.
Added Kindle, “My family and I are committed to investing in the growth of the City we love and believe City SC’s new state-of-the-art soccer stadium plays an important role in continuing to build the positive momentum happening throughout the St. Louis region.”
The CITYPARK, and its surrounding stadium district, is the largest urban professional sports campus in the United States and the only one with a stadium, team headquarters and practice facility all within the same footprint. The 30+ acre urban campus in downtown West will help unite the region around its love of sports and serve as the heartbeat of St. Louis by creating a 24/7/365 fan experience.
Continued Kindle, “We know sports bring people and communities together. In addition to being our home for City SC soccer matches, the CITYPARK will also host a variety of community events to ensure our downtown continues as an exciting, vibrant and growing destination for years to come.”
The CITYPARK features an open and welcoming architectural design and includes a variety of amenities for everyone to enjoy: Public art installations, pet-friendly spaces, bike and pedestrian pathways, green space and pop-up shops, and restaurants.
According to Dennis Moore, St. Louis City SC’s Chief Revenue Officer, interest in partnering with the City SC has never been stronger – “We continue to be impressed with the overwhelming support from both our fans and the business community. In addition to the incredible sponsors we have already announced, we continue to have conversations with a number of organizations who share our vision to further St. Louis’ growth. We now look forward to being able to include stadium naming rights in those conversations.”
While Centene will no longer be CITY SC’s stadium naming rights sponsor, the two organizations will work together on community health and wellness initiatives promoting youth soccer and fitness. Initial programing includes collaborating on two initiatives: City SC’s City Futures Program, which brings the game of soccer to a diverse group of youths across the Bi-State area (along the California-Nevada border) and a new effort to promote teamwork, fitness and competition between high school-age athletes in the community.
Stated Kindle, “We’ve always been about more than soccer and I’m so proud of how far we’ve come over the last two years. Our vision of building something to showcase what a world-class City like St. Louis has to offer is about to be unveiled to the world. I truly believe CITYPARK is something everyone in St. Louis will want to be a part of once we open our doors.”
About CITYPARK and its Surrounding District:
- Designed by internationally renowned architect Julie Snow and St. Louis-based HOK;
- 22,500 seats, all within 120 feet of the pitch;
- 3,000+ safe-standing supporter section;
- 30+ acre district also includes the WashU Orthopedics High Performance Center, three training pitches, a two-story retail pavilion and City SC’s corporate offices;
- 125,000+ square-foot Lou Fusz Plaza on the East side of the stadium, which will host gameday activities, public festivals and events;
- The CITYPARK’s canopy roof pays homage to the Gateway Arch in its metallic materials and, in addition to protecting fans from the elements, will help retain the stadium’s sound and matchday energy;
- As part of the district’s design vision, all four sides of the stadium will be open and inclusive, providing a welcoming and intimate experience for fans and neighbors alike; and
- Fiberoptic infrastructure of CITYPARK allows consistent wireless connectivity to allow fans to personalize their experience through frictionless ordering, realtime wayfinding and customized itineraries including augmented and virtual reality.
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