Plans to open a soccer stadium in Connecticut’s most populous city has been delayed for at least a year as funding for the project continues to be sought.
The CT Mirror reported the soccer stadium project in Bridgeport is being spearheaded by tech millionaire André Swanston, whose Connecticut United Football Club will become part of Major League Soccer’s development league MLS NEXT Pro. The team’s stadium was announced for the 2025 season and Swanston previously claimed that he “invested millions of his own dollars into the project and has received commitments from private investors,” but he also insisted that the endeavor “will be difficult to complete without some level of state support.”
Swanston estimated the stadium’s costs could reach nine figures. The football club committed about $40 million to the project and the state committed $16 million, although Swanston hoped for more public money.
“We’ve invested a lot of private capital into this,” said Swanston. “We’ve made a significant commitment to the state, Bridgeport and this project. Moreso than any other project in the state in decades.”
Bridgeport has a history where big projects were announced but never begun. But although the stadium’s opening was pushed to at least 2026, the team’s development is in progress.
“Soccer is different from other sports that have drafts,” Swanston added. “Here we can develop our own talent in our local area. What’s exciting is that there’s lots of people from Connecticut playing in MLS teams across the country and Europe as professional players. Starting the infrastructure to develop talent in Connecticut regardless of income or ZIP code is a start to having a good Pro team.”
Photo: Artist’s rendering of the planned soccer stadium
;
Why does the government have to give millions so millionaires can play there? How about funding new textile and manufacturing? I don’t like the whole concept.