First beam placed at Etihad Park

The first beam was placed at Etihad Park, New York’s first soccer-specific stadium and future home of New York City Football Club. Photo via NYCFC

By Ryan Schwach

The very first beam was placed at Etihad Park, the city’s first soccer-specific stadium and future home of New York City Football Club.

The first piece of steel was placed at the future location of the supporter section at the planned Willets Point stadium which is expected to be open in 2027.

NYCFC along with local City Councilmember Francisco Moya placed the steal on Monday, marking the first vertical move for the stadium.

“Up until this point, all of that work we’ve done since groundbreaking in December has been focused on foundational work,” said NYCFC Chief Operating Officer Jennifer O’Sullivan. “This is the first point in which the steel goes in that you really start to see the bones of the stadium going up. This is the moment I think from here on where you’re going to actually start to see the building coming to life and taking shape.”

According to the construction officials on the project, about 8,000 tons of steel is going into the stadium, the equivalent of 44 airplanes.

Once home to dozens of auto shops and hundreds of workers, as well as decades of pollution and neglect, a major portion of Willets Point is well on its way to becoming an entirely new neighborhood, replete with new apartment buildings, shops, parks, a school, and, at its center, the NYCFC stadium.

In a video about the beam placement, Moya called it a “monumental day not only for the New York State Football Club, but for Queens itself.”

“The placement of the first beam is more than just the start of construction — it’s a symbol of progress, pride, and promise for our community,” he added in a statement to the Eagle. “This moment at Etihad Stadium represents the foundation of a future that will bring jobs, opportunity, and energy to our city. When you involve the right people, things get done — and this project is proof of that. I’m proud to stand with the fans, the workers, and our neighborhoods as we build something truly special together."