The groundbreaking ceremony held earlier today at the Willets Point site where New York City FC will build Etihad Park started on time.
Maybe it was because nobody wanted to linger too long on a day when the mercury read 38˚ – and which felt much colder – but the event was underway shortly after the advertised 1 pm. That's when New York City Mayor Eric Adams stepped on a stage already filled with club executives, city officials, assorted dignitaries, and a good number of NYCFC supporters from Los Templados and The Third Rail.
Courtesy newyorkctyfc.com
A prompt start to a public groundbreaking on a Wednesday afternoon in Queens might be a small detail in the scheme of things, but it's an indicator of how hard the club is working to get this project over the line. It's no small thing to get Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber (a son of Queens, he grew up in Flushing), CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, billionaire club co-owner Marcelo Claure, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, City Council Member Francisco Moya, Mayor Adams, and other city officials to clear their schedules and show up early.
At this point, we have come to expect the same of Marty Edelman, the power broker super-lawyer who is on the board of City Football Group and is the vice-chair of NYCFC, as well as President and CEO Brad Sims, COO Jennifer O'Sullivan, and Sporting Director David Lee: We take it for granted that New York City executives will always show up in force. But the sheer number of dignitaries who gathered at the sub-freezing construction site was impressive.
For all of the camera-ready symbolism on a day like today – those gold shovels look good on the internets – the real message was found in the caliber of the officials on the stage, and in the quiet power wielded by others who chose to stand in the crowd. They're the real reason why NYCFC is able to build a privately-financed $780 million stadium – plus 2,500 affordable housing units and a 650-student public school – on city-owned land.
Andrew Leigh
Remember, NYCFC's stadium saga is almost as old as the club itself, and the organization will be taking no chances as construction starts ahead of the announced 2027 opening. Look at the Hudson River Blue archive and you'll see that our first post speculating that a stadium could open in Queens is dated June 12, 2013, before the team had a head coach or signed a Designated Player. And the first delay was published one month later, when we reported that Council Member Leroy Comrie was opposed to a stadium then priced at $340 million.
Winston Churchill is credited with saying "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." In fact, it was the philosopher George Santayana who first said something along those lines, but no matter: This New York City front office learned from history, and is making sure not to repeat past mistakes.
Courtesy newyorkcityfc.com
But nobody was talking about the ups and downs of the stadium saga earlier today. The air was cold but the warm fuzzies kept the mood light, and the first goal in Etihad Park history was scored on Claure — who looks like he could stand to spend some time with goalkeeping coach Rob Vartughian.
