Sun venue to anchor Ybor Harbor mixed-use

Article posted by Coliseum, June 25^th, 2025

Image: Beck USL and Tampa Bay Sun FC

Fresh off their United Soccer League (USL) (US) Super League Championship the Tampa Bay Sun FC along with the Tampa business leader Darryl Shaw and the United Soccer League (USL) shared their vision for one of the world’s first stadiums built for a women’s professional soccer team.

‘USL’ stated that seen as a milestone for women’s sports the 15,000-seat stadium which would include a boutique hotel would be located on the waterfront at Ybor Harbor (Tampa, Florida, US).

Tampa (US)-based the United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system.

Tampa (US)-based the United Soccer League (USL) Super League is a professional women’s soccer league in the United States. It is sanctioned by the US Soccer Federation as a Division I league positioning it alongside the Major League Soccer (MLS) as the top level of professional soccer in the United States.

Chicago (US)-based the United States Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as the U.S. Soccer, is a 501 nonprofit organization and the official governing body of soccer in the United States.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams with 27 in the United States and three in Canada and is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. The MLS is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan (US).

The Tampa Bay Sun FC is an American professional women’s soccer club based in Tampa, Florida (US) that competes in the USL Super League. The 5,000-capacity Riverfront Stadium serves as their residence.

‘USL’ further stated that the state-of-the-art facility would be the home of Tampa’s top-tier professional women’s soccer team and will anchor a vibrant new urban district that would also include the United Soccer League’s headquarters.

Maintained Darryl Shaw, Majority Owner of Tampa Bay Sun FC and Master Developer of Ybor Harbor, “The vision for a new Tampa Bay Sun FC stadium is rooted in creating opportunity, celebrating excellence and laying down a cornerstone for the Ybor City’s continued revitalization. We believe in the power of sport to inspire, unite and drive meaningful change. By anchoring this historic neighborhood with a vibrant home for women’s professional soccer we’re investing in our City’s future and honoring the community that makes it thrive.”

The stadium would anchor Ybor Harbor, a 33-acre mixed-use development featuring residential, retail, restaurants, hotels, and office towers that will house the USL’s headquarters.

Added Alec Papadakis, USL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), “This project will provide a premier new headquarters for the USL – one that reflects the energy, ambition and growth of our leagues. By collaborating with Darryl Shaw and the Tampa Bay Sun FC we’re accelerating the growth of women’s soccer while creating lasting benefits for Tampa Bay. The stadium development will be a place where the fans and the community come together and celebrate our sport – here in Tampa Bay and across the United States.”

The USL Super League recently completed its inaugural season with the Sun earning a thrilling 1-0 victory after extra time against their Florida rival Fort Lauderdale United FC before a sellout crowd at the Riverfront Stadium in downtown Tampa. The Sun finished the season with the best home record in the league while going 14W-6L-10D across the regular season and playoffs.

The stadium would also be a premier year-round venue for sporting events, concerts, festivals, and community gatherings serving as a central hub for the Tampa Bay residents and the visitors. It would also host select US National Team and international matches for both men and women.

Averred Jane Castor, Tampa Mayor, “Tampa is a City of champions – and now we’re dreaming even bigger. The stadium would deliver a place that captures our City’s energy, inspires the next generation and stands as a national symbol of what happens when the Cities invest boldly in women’s sports and inclusive economic growth.”

The stadium vision, designed by The Beck Group, does not yet have an anticipated start date or cost, as it is too early in the process.

Dallas (US)-based The Beck Group is a company which integrates architecture, construction, sustainability, and technology to transform how their clients design and build. The projects they design and build are groundbreaking and trendsetting. The Beck Group has earned a reputation for excellence and innovation in design, construction and preconstruction.

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