By Jesse Jones and Pat Davis, City Desk in The Paper. — Soccer fans may have a new reason to care about redevelopment at the New Mexico State Fair.
In an exclusive interview with City Desk, New Mexico United Co-owner and CEO Peter Trevisani says the New Mexico United would be open to moving its $30 million stadium pledge to the State Fairgrounds if a legal battle continues to stall plans for a permanent home at Balloon Fiesta Park and the board overseeing Fairgrounds redevelopment includes an acceptable stadium in the final master plan approval.
City Desk reported Friday that the consultants hired to evaluate redevelopment options would recommend an open-air stadium along Central Ave. to anchor a new arts and entertainment district on the site.
Peter Trevisani, United’s chief executive officer, told City Desk exclusively that the Fairgrounds could be a faster, league-compliant alternative. The move comes as the City of Albuquerque’s Court of Appeals fight over Balloon Fiesta Park drags on.
“We had pledged to build a $30 million privately funded stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park,” Trevisani said. “If we’re going to move, we’re going to bring the $30 million with us. We’re not going to be spending a penny less, whether it’s [at the fairgrounds] or at Balloon Fiesta.”
His comments came ahead of Friday’s final Fairgrounds Reimagined meeting and Trevisani had not seen the final recommendations. Design firm Stantec presented the master plan that includes a stadium, giving the team a concrete landing spot.
Although United was not part of the initial planning at the Fairgrounds, Trevisani said Stantec asked the team to share lessons on process and financing for development of a professional sports team from their ongoing saga to build a home to meet United Soccer League’s requirements.
“As of right now, a lot of what we know about the State Fairgrounds is the same as the public knows,” he said. “There’s no pad-ready site at Balloon Fiesta Park, and there’s some legal hurdles, so there’s an opportunity to pivot, if it presents itself.” While Trevisani emphasized that the Fairgrounds could be a faster, league-compliant alternative, he stressed that without final approval from the tax district board responsible for choosing a final site plan, there was nothing to negotiate.
The move could revitalize the Central Avenue corridor and end a years-long search for a home. The club must find a site soon, as United remains out of compliance with USL stadium standards at Isotopes Park. Trevisani said the league has been patient, but “they can’t be patient forever.”
Trevisani dismissed concerns that sports venues fail to help neighborhoods, citing the district around the University of New Mexico’s stadiums as a success. He also pointed to stadiums in Louisville and Colorado Springs as catalysts that transformed areas into booming districts.
“When people say that these stadiums don’t work to revitalize a neighborhood, they’re just repeating what they heard from someone else,” he said. “It’s just not true.”
Trevisani said the stadium proposed by the United would be a multi-use, soccer-first facility designed to serve as a year-round community hub. He envisions a space that is aesthetically pleasing and blends into the neighborhood like a public park that is only ticketed during games — something Trevisani slyly pointed out better aligns with the Fairgrounds location along Central Ave. in the International District than Balloon Fiesta park which has no other year-round uses.
