Ready to make an impact in your community?
Why 10-25 Acres Tends to Work Best
A 10–25-acre parcel usually provides enough room for a right-sized stadium or primary field experience, training space, circulation, and fan-facing amenities, without drifting into land-heavy sprawl that is expensive to grade, service, and operate, said Justin Papadakis, deputy CEO & chief real estate officer at the USL, in a recent SFC webinar.
It also leaves room for the surrounding district to emerge, with restaurants, retail, and public spaces that encourage people to linger.
Treat acreage as a starting line, not a finish line, then adjust for the realities of the site and the business model.
Key adjusters that move the target up or down:
- Structured parking can compress the surface footprint, but it raises costs. It is a lever to pull when land is tight or when urban infill is the goal, and it often pairs with shared-parking agreements to smooth event peaks.
- Transit access and walkability enable venues to leverage city assets and time-separated parking. That lowers on-site stall counts and elevates the fan experience, since supporters prefer to walk, dine, and linger around the venue.
- Usable acreage versus gross acreage matters. Wetlands, easements, slopes, and water management can shrink the buildable area. Confirm early how much of the 10-25 acres is truly usable for fields, plazas, and circulation.
Keep It Multi-Use by Design
A soccer venue that works for its city is inherently multi-purpose. That means on-field athletics and off-field celebrations, with space that flexes from matchday to markets, concerts, graduations, banquets, and watch parties.
This is not only an attendance strategy, but also a district strategy. When the building and its adjoining plazas are programmed year-round, the resulting foot traffic supports surrounding small businesses and keeps the area lively on non-game days. That is the engine that justifies investment and makes the project feel like a community living room rather than an occasional-use box.
A Sizing Workflow That Travels Well
- Start with 10-25 acres as a planning baseline for a soccer-forward venue that wants daily activation and a right-sized fan experience.
- Test parking, transit, setbacks, and usable land early to determine whether the parcel needs to be expanded or whether thoughtful design can effectively compress the plan.
- Specify power, lighting, connectivity, and access for non-game events so conversions are fast and affordable, and the calendar stays full.
Final Takeaways
The strongest soccer venues pick a right-sized site, shape it to local mobility and code realities, and program it for everyday life. That is activation per acre, and it is how a 10–25-acre decision turns into an all-week destination that powers the block around it.
