City commission approves plans for New Mexico United stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park

By KOB

City commission unanimously approves plans to build NM United stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park – 10 p.m. update

The city commission heard more than four hours of public comment during the virtual meeting Thursday before eventually questioning city leaders about their concerns and then voting on the proposal.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The city’s Environmental Planning Commission has unanimously approved plans to build a soccer stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park, despite fierce opposition from some nearby neighborhood groups.

The city commission heard more than four hours of public comment during the virtual meeting Thursday before eventually questioning city leaders about their concerns and then voting on the proposal.

The plan is to build the new stadium in a parking lot near the Balloon Launch Field. New Mexico United officials say they’ve made several changes to the stadium plans to reduce the impact on nearby homes – which are at least a half mile away. That includes a bigger roof, specialized audio systems, and lower light poles.

Commissioners seemed optimistic about all the changes, but some neighbors say they’re still not enough and argued they haven’t been able to keep up with the changes. Team and city leaders challenged some of those concerns.

Fans who may be concerned about the stadium’s capacity should know team reps say that hasn’t been affected. There would still be room for 9,000 to 12,000 fans. Planners also say their designs will not route traffic through residential neighborhoods.

While the plan is moving forward, there are still more steps before this is a done deal. The plans need to pass the Albuquerque City Council again, even though councilors have already approved a lease agreement, and only then would there be a final design.

Albuquerque city councilors will still have to give the final approval, even though the city already approved a lease agreement. It’s not clear when that vote might happen.

United Owner & CEO Peter Trevisani shared the following statement following the approval:

“We commend the EPC on re-affirming the previous November approval with a unanimous vote. The work that has been done to improve the design, capture fugitive light, mitigate traffic and improve the quality of life for the community has paid off. We still have a lot of work to do with the neighbors, city and state but today was an important and positive step to bringing a multi-use stadium to Balloon Fiesta Park. We look forward to building a facility that will make New Mexico proud.”