City of SF Seeks To Develop Soccer Stadium at Struggling Downtown Mall

The City of San Francisco is in the early design stages of a soccer stadium, which could -potentially- replace the struggling downtown mall that Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield recently decided to return to lenders, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mayor London Breed addressed reporters and business leaders gathered at the Chamber of Commerce's Financial District offices, disclosing that the city, in collaboration with the architecture firm Gensler, is conducting early-stage design work to explore the possibilities of developing a stadium at the Westfield's San Francisco Centre location.

While Mayor Breed did not provide many details, her office stated that the firm is in the early stages of conducting a feasibility study, as reported by the Chronicle. It's important to note that her ability to bring a stadium project to fruition on this site is somewhat restricted, as the city does not currently own the mall, and there is no existing professional soccer team associated with it.

Nevertheless, Mayor Breed expressed optimism about the potential development of a new facility in the struggling retail area that has experienced a decline in businesses, including the imminent closure of the anchor Nordstrom space.