Sac Republic FC Unveils New Rendering For Downtown Stadium

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The Sacramento Republic FC soccer team has unveiled a new stadium concept they have planned for the downtown Railyards location.

A brand new rendering released on Friday is giving a glimpse of the stadium, which officials say could be constructed on an accelerated timeline and double the size of downtown with new housing and other developments.

"We want to build a world-class soccer stadium in The Railyards, and to begin the next decade of Republic FC," said Republic FC Owner and CEO Kevin Nagle in a statement.

The plans come after Sacramento's push for a Major League Soccer team has all but evaporated.

Instead, the new concept appears to be cementing Sac Republic FC's status as one of the premier clubs in the United Soccer League.

In a statement, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg noted that the city was still trying to identify and work with potential MLS investors.

"I'm grateful to Kevin Nagle for his partnership and his commitment to Sacramento. As a city, we are open to pursuing dual tracks," Steinberg said.

Team officials say their MLS hopes are also still alive.

"We have duel tracks. We're not waiting around. Destiny is in our hands [and] we can build this stadium now," said Todd Dunivant, president of Sacramento Republic FC. "We're thinking about it in a way that future-proofs it for expansion and the possibility of MLS. If and when that comes, we're ready."

Initial plans for the downtown stadium are for it to be a 12,000-15,000 seat facility, with it having the potential to expand to more than 20,000 seats. The venue could potentially host other sports and entertainment events as well.