Sacramento Republic MLS Stadium Plan Is Latest Hope For Railyards Infill Project

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento city leaders have thrown their support behind plans to bring Major League Soccer to the capital city.

A planned stadium in the railyards area of Downtown Sacramento is far from the first project that's been planned for the largest urban infill project in the nation.

An aerial view shows the proposed stadium's proximity to the downtown Sacramento skyline. More pictures show what the stadium would look like in the railyards if MLS awards the Sacramento Republic a franchise.

The release of the drawings, timed with a city hall vote on a stadium term sheet comes days before the MLS Board of Governors meeting.

"I think these drawings are communicating just how credible this plan is and just how serious we are about being ready for MLS," said Kunal Merchant, with the team.

Republic fans came to the Sacramento City Council decked out in team colors to support the $180 million privately financed stadium. The deal includes $46 million in public funding for pipes, roads and powerlines already built in the railyards.

The new owner of the railyards property, Larry Kelly, is also an investor in the Republic.

It's not the first project that's been floated before for the railyards. Several Sacramento Kings arenas and a proposed Canal District never came to fruition.

Now a soccer stadium brings new hope for the area.