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Harrisburg City Islanders Take Next Step in New Stadium Project

May 26, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Penn FC News Release


Harrisburg, May 26, 2015 - The parent company of the Harrisburg City Islanders, the Harrisburg Capital Soccer, Inc. have applied for grant funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) administered by the Office of the Budget under Governor Tom Wolf. The Harrisburg City Islanders are committed to making every possible effort to make the stadium project a reality. The $5 million grant application was written with assistance from Delta Development and the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) and was delivered to the Office of the Budget on May 18, 2015.

The Harrisburg City Islanders Multi-use Stadium project meets all RACP eligibility requirements. Harrisburg Capital Soccer, Inc. is requesting $5 million in RACP funding for the proposed scope of work and will provide a match in non-state funds. The total cost of the project is $13.9 million. Design of the project is scheduled to begin on July 6, 2015 and will be completed by August 21, 2015. Construction is scheduled to start on May 9, 2016 and is scheduled to be completed by May 5, 2017.

The RACP Grant Applications is designed for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. The RACP Grant is a commonwealth grant program. During the past eighteen months the Harrisburg City Islanders have received support from Harrisburg Mayor Papenfuse and the Dauphin County Commissioners. At this time, there is no set time frame for when the Governor will make award announcements.

The project site, currently named Skyline Sports Complex is owned by the City of Harrisburg and has been leased for the last 11 years to Harrisburg Capital Soccer, Inc. for use by the Harrisburg City Islanders. The cost estimate for the Harrisburg City Islanders Multi-Use Stadium project was prepared by Douglas J. McAninch, Vice President for R.S. Mowery & Sons, Inc along with Marc Kurowski, Site Designer/Civil Engineer for K&W Engineers and Jay Blackwell, Principal Architect for By Design Consultants, Inc.

"This is an enormous opportunity for the people of the greater Harrisburg area," said Eric Pettis, CFO of the Harrisburg City Islanders. "It will change the city in a dramatic way forever. It's imperative that we show the county and state the support behind the Harrisburg City Islanders and the multi-use stadium which will benefit the entire community. We believe public support will make a difference."

"This is about community spirit, community pride, economic development and jobs." Pettis added, "This stadium is about the city's future. It's about coming together with civic leaders, business leaders, religious leaders and labor groups all with a common goal: to improve the current Skyline Sports Complex into the expanded, safe and much needed complex."

As Central Pennsylvania's only professional soccer team, the Harrisburg City Islanders are currently playing in their twelfth season at the City of Harrisburg's Skyline Sports Complex, located on City Island. Founded in 2004, the City Islanders are one of 24 teams operating in the United Soccer League (USL), the strongest, best operated, and most experienced men's professional soccer league in North America below the Major League Soccer (MLS). The USL is the largest organization of elite-level soccer in North America and is considered to be the driving force in the growth of soccer in the United States. In 2010, the City Islanders formalized a partnership with the Philadelphia Union of the MLS as its exclusive affiliate partner, providing for the exchange of team members between the organizations and expanded interleague play. The City Islanders and the Philadelphia Union were the first teams to merge into partnership between the USL and MLS, a popular trend that has expanded to twelve affiliations in the last five years.

Over the past decade, the City Islanders have earned the reputation as one of the USL's leading franchises, winning numerous titles and displaying unparalleled professionalism both on and off the field. Despite their many achievements, however, the City Islanders are notorious for having one of the worst stadiums in the league. Currently, the stadium has capacity for only 2,400 fans, 400 of which would be relegated to standing room only in the "Socceritaville" VIP deck area. The current stadium does not have restroom facilities or running water, concession stands are operated out of unventilated sheds, the locker rooms are housed in movable trailers, and only available seating is on picnic tables or backless, open bleachers.

The construction of a new, professional soccer stadium will vastly improve the recreational experience for both fans and players and is expected to increase attendance at the regular season home games by up to an additional 2,000 spectators per game. In order to provide the superior professional sporting experience that meets USL standards and represents the quality of the organization, the Islanders have developed plans for a new replacement stadium on City Island. The Harrisburg City Islanders Multi-Use Stadium Project involves the construction of a professional grade soccer stadium with 5,000 seats, dedicated VIP areas, entrance plaza, concessions, restrooms, indoor locker rooms, a state-of-the-art broadcasting booth, and a new scoreboard. The seating will include a mix of individual bucket seats, ten luxury suites, a VIP deck with seating, and bleacher seats with back supports. In addition, the new stadium will feature two multipurpose rooms that will be used for classrooms, meetings, banquets, and other community needs.

Due to the tightening of standards for the USL and the increased collaboration with the MLS, without the construction of a new stadium on City Island, the Harrisburg City Islanders will be forced to move to another location which may be outside of Central Pennsylvania.

The stadium's picturesque location on the Susquehanna River with the Harrisburg city skyline as a backdrop provides one of the most unique environments for professional sports in the country and is anticipated to attract tens of thousands of new visitors to the Capital Region each year. While not in use for City Islander games and practices, the stadium will host a wide variety of community events, including tournaments, concerts, training camps and clinics, and youth development activities.

In addition, the development of a high-quality, professional soccer stadium will enable the City Islanders to host professional friendly matches, a new venue for PIAA regular season soccer matches, PIAA District matches, youth soccer tournaments, training camps and clinics. The new stadium will also host an assortment of local events that will benefit the residents of the Harrisburg community, including programs that focus on youth development and engagement. In total, the new stadium is expected to increase the number of visitors.

The City Islanders are asking fans, the public, and community leaders, to join in with a signature of support pronouncing their commitment by placing their name on the Harrisburg City Islanders Multi-Use Stadium Project petition. The goal is to gather thousands of residents' signatures in support of this plan and work through the next phase of approvals needed to make the stadium plan a reality. The petition can be found online at http://bit.ly/SupportHCIStadium, at the Islanders Front, and at all home matches this season.

Don't miss out on a moment of action!

Get your tickets today by calling (717)441-4625 (GOAL).

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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