What to know about Modesto’s evolving plans for downtown stadium, pro sports
Modesto has spent more than three years exploring plans for a new multipurpose stadium that could bring professional soccer and revitalize its downtown. The effort has shifted from an initial baseball-focused concept to formal negotiations with the United Soccer League.
Here are key takeaways:
• In July 2021, Modesto City Manager Joe Lopez confirmed the city was in talks with the Seattle Mariners — owners of the Modesto Nuts minor league team — about a new stadium.
• By August 2021, a group of local business leaders had pooled $75,000 to hire an architect to produce drawings for a multipurpose downtown venue that could host baseball, concerts, snow sledding and other events.
• The group formally pitched the Great Valley Coliseum in late 2021, with a preliminary cost estimate of $85 million to $122 million. The proposal called for just $5 million to $10 million in private investment, with the city and county issuing bonds to cover the rest.
• The Modesto Bee editorial board in February 2022 warned about taxpayer risk, citing Stockton’s bankruptcy after investing in a sports complex and Fresno’s $3.2 million annual bond payments on its minor-league stadium.
• Stadium backers pointed to success stories in cities including Fort Wayne, Tulsa and Pensacola but acknowledged they still lacked a master developer and substantial private-sector investment.
• In August 2024, the City Council declared Modesto Centre Plaza, John Thurman Field and the adjacent shuttered municipal golf course as surplus land, opening the door for potential stadium sites.
• In September 2024, the council unanimously approved a letter of intent with the United Soccer League for 12 months of exclusive negotiations to bring men’s and women’s professional teams to Modesto and build a stadium seating at least 5,000, with expansion to 10,000. The agreement was extended as the city undertook an economic feasibility study.
• A City Council member now says the plans for a soccer stadium are “dead on arrival,” though the city spokesperson said it is still determining the project’s financial feasibility.