FRISCO, Texas (Thursday, May 5, 2016) – FC Dallas, U.S. Soccer, Frisco Independent School District and the City of Frisco, broke ground today on a $39 million Toyota Stadium project featuring more than 100,000 square feet of renovated space, new locker rooms, premium seats, a private club and the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum.
At the ceremony, FC Dallas Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, along with FC Dallas President Dan Hunt revealed the names of the 2016 U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame induction class, which includes U.S. Women’s National Team alumni Shannon MacMillan and Brandi Chastain, as well as MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Chastain represented present and future Hall of Famers, joining the Hunts, Frisco Mayor Maher Maso and Frisco I.S.D. Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Lyon in breaking ground on the construction site.
“To be inducted into the Hall of Fame and have my name read in the same sentence with our country’s best is truly humbling,” said Chastain. “The opportunity to play the game was given to me by my parents. My competitiveness and enthusiasm was fostered by every coach who I was blessed to be taught by; and my passion shared and heightened by all of my teammates over my career. It is not enough to say how grateful I am with words; therefore, I continue to share the game with anyone and everyone who will allow me.”
The 24,000 square foot National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum and event center will be home to U.S. Soccer hardware, including the Women’s World Cup, Gold Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies, as well as Olympic medals and memorabilia from the historic U.S. win over England in the 1950 World Cup, among other memorabilia and trophies. Toyota Stadium will also become the permanent site for the annual National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony. No other major national sports hall of fame museum is built into a stadium.
The unprecedented endeavor is fitting for a stadium built by the late Lamar Hunt, who has been widely celebrated for his pioneering ways across American sports and is a member of 13 halls of fame. A 1982 inductee into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Hunt received their Medal of Honor in 1999, making him one of only three individual recipients of the prestigious award in history. The honor was also granted to the 1991 Women’s National Team, which won the inaugural Women’s World Cup.
“This is an incredible day for all associated with soccer in America,” said Dan Hunt. “We are so pleased to be able to continually improve Toyota Stadium with our partners, the City of Frisco, F.I.S.D., and US Soccer. It is an even more special day being able to announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2016, and have Brandi Chastain join us for the groundbreaking.”
The Hall of Fame level will feature luxury, padded seating and include pre-game dining inside a private club, while the level below will offer views into the player hallway and out to the field. Club members will also be able to watch postgame press conferences live through glass windows shared between the new press center and the private club.
The concourse level will feature a 7,000 square foot outdoor party deck with an outdoor bar, concession stands and a new team store. Upgraded HD video boards and a new sound system will improve fan experiences, while a new skyway connecting the West side suites to the premium amenities on the South end will make navigating the stadium simple.
New locker rooms with tunnels on each corner of the South end will be home to FC Dallas, as well as teams from Frisco I.S.D. and the NCAA FCS Championship teams. The locker rooms can be configured into four separate soccer dressing rooms or combined into two 100-person rooms for football.
Detailed plans, as well as concept drawings, of the entire renovation can be viewed at FCDallasHoF.com. The renovation, which will be completed by Manhattan Construction with a proposed completion date at the end of 2017, was designed by Toyota Stadium’s original architects, HKS, Inc.
The defending regular-season Western Conference champion, FC Dallas currently is tied atop the Major League Soccer standings with a league-best 17 points (5-2-2). They face Toronto FC Saturday night at BMO Field before returning home to Toyota Stadium to host defending MLS Cup Champions Portland Timbers FC on Wednesday, May 11.
Season ticket memberships are still available for 2016, starting at $218 per seat. For more information, visit FCDallas.com or call 888.FCD.GOAL (323.4625).
