Modesto soccer stadium dream could end tonight as City Council debates it
At its meeting Tuesday evening, Modesto’s City Council will debate if it should continue negotiations for a professional soccer stadium. The council will also be presented a study’s findings that a stadium may not be financially possible.
For nearly two years, the soccer stadium was discussed as a way to revitalize downtown, increase tax revenue and drive tourism to the area. But a consultant agency hired by the city, Kosmont Companies, now says the project faces “serious obstacles” in being able to pay for it.
“Moving forward with the construction of a downtown stadium project might be feasible based upon several scenarios that must play out exactly as planned or there could be a real risk in placing a large amount of generational debt upon the city,” read an agenda report prepared by city staff for the council.
In April, the city extended its exclusive negotiation period with the United Soccer League after missing two deadlines to ink a deal for a downtown stadium. The extension ends Tuesday. The city has been in exclusive negotiations with USL since September 2024.
The city held numerous, hours-long public meetings and workshops to gather data, public input, explore financial options and even select a stadium location. The location selected is where Modesto Centre Plaza sits today. That decision already has run into several hurdles.
During a budget workshop in March 2025, City Councilmember Nick Bavaro promised USL officials that a soccer stadium project would happen, no matter where it was located, saying, “The message you can take back to your office is that this council will get this done.”
But presented with the results of a survey that showed low support for a tax district to fund the stadium, Bavaro did an about-face. In April of this year, Bavaro said the stadium proposal was “dead on arrival.” Bavaro is up for reelection in November.
Financial details
Kosmont didn’t even consider Modesto’s hopes of building a $125 million stadium to attract a higher-level USL team. Instead, it considered only the city building a smaller, cheaper stadium for about $90 million.
The men’s soccer team planned to play there would be a level below the USL’s top tier, which includes Sacramento Republic FC.
With the estimated $90 million building cost, land acquisition estimated at $5 million and potential revenues that could be pledged for financing from taxpayers — $55 million — there remains a gap of $43.4 million to fund the stadium and initial land acquisition costs.
But this is totally dependent on there being absolutely no hiccups, according to Kosmont’s assessment. If there are any, the gap would need to be filled by the city’s general fund — which is already facing its own deficit because of increased public safety spending and a gamble that tax revenue would increase enough to plug it.
The city council will meet at 5:30 p.m. in its chambers at 1010 10th St.
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Modesto soccer stadium dream could end tonight as City Council debates it."
