New Mexico United stadium to move forward after appeal denied
Albuquerque Public Schools accepting submissions for 'You Need a Teacher' campaign
Opponents argued that the stadium will cause noise disruptions and traffic delays. But on Monday, a district court judge affirmed the council's decision. The city said the ruling clears the path toward breaking ground on the project.
'It's just great to have a place to call home,' said Ron Patel, President of New Mexico United.
But, it's been a long, hard road getting here. In 2021, voters overwhelmingly said 'No' to a $50 million bond to pay for the stadium. And as the soccer team owners moved forward with plans to privately fund the stadium, another battle began over its location.
They finally landed on Balloon Fiesta Park in 2023.
'Voters were primarily upset about two things. They did not want a publicly funded stadium. This is not, the stadium itself is going to be funded by united. They also did not want it downtown,' said Mayor Tim Keller, City of Albuquerque in 2023.
City environmental planners approved that stadium proposal three years ago, but surrounding neighborhoods put up a fight after raising concerns about noise, light, and traffic. They also said they were left out of the conversation.
'All the people that are making this decision don't live here. And so it's okay for them because they're not impacted by it,' said Pat Hauser, Vice President of Marie Diers Neighborhood Association in 2024.
The city decided to take a step back, and sent the plan back to the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC), who approved the stadium once again.
The three neighborhoods, mentioned earlier, filed the lawsuit against the City of Albuquerque saying the EPC doesn't have the authority over master plans. But today, a judge said they do.
'It's a great day, it's great to hear the news, this state deserves a stadium of its own,' said Patel.
Right now, the team plays at Isotopes Stadium where they convert the baseball field into a soccer pitch and back, each game. Patel said it poses scheduling challenges, increases the workload each game, and causes safety issues to the players.
Soccer fans can't wait for the new stadium.
'We are now going to have a soccer stadium and we look forward to that opening game in just a couple of years,' said Keller.
United will spend at least $30 million to build the stadium, with the city paying for improvements at Balloon Fiesta Park, including parking lot upgrades and adding bathrooms.
'It feels great, you know, I think it won't fully sink in until we finally step into the new stadium, but you know, getting much closer now to being able to put a shovel in the ground,' said Patel.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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