Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, is set to undergo a multi-million-dollar transformation.
Renovations to the home of Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas will begin in 2025, according to a press release on the club’s website. HKS Architects and Manhattan Construction Group are overseeing the design and construction of the renovations, respectively.
Funding for the project comes primarily from a $182 million public-private partnership between FC Dallas and the City of Frisco.
The stadium – the third-oldest soccer-specific stadium in MLS – has also been home to Frisco ISD athletic events since 2005.
The renovations will “enhance the guest experience by integrating innovative designs, cutting-edge audio/visual technology and a variety of fan-first amenities,” the press release reads.
“When Toyota Stadium opened in 2005, it was a state-of-the-art facility that was ahead of its time, and the stadium’s success has helped pave the way for dozens of other soccer-specific stadiums across the country,” said FC Dallas Chairman and CEO, Clark Hunt. “Today, we are delighted to announce these renovations which will modernize the stadium and elevate the fan experience, once again establishing Toyota Stadium as one of the premier facilities in Major League Soccer.”
Planned upgrades include:
- A visually distinctive roof structure which will provide shade for most fans in the seating bowl
- Expanded seating capacity
- Improved ingress and egress
- New concession stands and bathroom locations
- Advanced audio-visual technology
- Upgraded media facilities
- An upgraded field drainage system for more efficient water clearance
- The largest video board in MLS in a soccer-specific venue
Construction will occur in phases, with work on the east side of the stadium slated to begin after the FCS Championship game on Monday, January 6, 2025.
"…I am grateful for the leadership of Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney, the Frisco Independent School District, Frisco City Council, Frisco Community Development Corporation, Frisco Economic Development Corporation and Frisco city leaders for their vision and partnership as we worked through the process to reach this agreement,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “The new Toyota Stadium will set the standard for modern hospitality and will continue to be a cornerstone of the Frisco community. All of us at FC Dallas are excited for our fans, partners and players to experience this state-of-the-art facility.”
The west side of the stadium will remain operational during the 2025 MLS season. According to the press release, FC Dallas plans to continue hosting MLS matches at the stadium throughout the renovation process. The entire project is expected to be completed in early 2028.
“We are grateful to Clark and Dan Hunt for being part of an already successful public-private partnership that will span the next 30 years,” said Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney. “This stadium was built more than 20 years ago on an empty field which, at the time, seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Today, Toyota Stadium is synonymous with championships, marquee events and youth development leagues not to mention being home to Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas. We embrace Toyota Stadium as an important part of our history, culture and economic success.”
The History of Major League Soccer’s Soccer-Specific Stadiums
When MLS kicked off its inaugural season in 1996, the majority of its 10 founding teams shared a venue with an American football team.
“When the original business model came together, there was no plan for soccer stadiums,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber told Yahoo! Sports in a 2016 interview. “They thought that MLS would play in everybody else’s large buildings as a secondary tenant.”
According to a 2017 article in Soccer Stadium Digest, the term “soccer-specific” stadium was coined by the late Lamar Hunt, father of brothers Clark and Dan of FC Dallas, and principal founder of MLS, the North American Soccer League (NASL), and the American Football League.
Lamar – who is also credited as inventing the term “Superbowl” as the name for the championship game between the AFL and NFL – came up with the term “soccer-specific” to describe the first purpose-built, professional soccer stadium in MLS. Dubbed MAPFRE Stadium, it opened in 1999 in Columbus, Ohio and served as the home stadium of the Columbus Crew until 2021. Lamar financed the construction of the facility himself.
“The idea behind soccer-specific venues was to create stadiums that were more akin to the European model – spaces facilitating more intimate and engaged fan experiences,” the article in Soccer Stadium Digest reads. “A soccer-specific stadium typically has amenities and scale suitable for soccer in North America, with capacity between 18,000-30,000, seats close to the pitch and at pitch level, and it is often topped by a roof to channel sound and create further intimacy.”
Garber assumed the role of MLS Commissioner the same year MAPFRE Stadium opened, and he spearheaded a league expansion model centered around facility development. The idea was that the league and its member clubs could control ticket and sponsorship revenue if they had their own stadiums.
Toyota Stadium opened in 2005. From 2007 to 2017, ten more soccer-specific stadiums were built for MLS clubs.
Three MLS stadiums opened in 2021 alone, including FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, where GPRS’ 3D laser scanning services helped identify discrepancies between what was designed and what was built before these errors could derail the construction of the facility.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of 3D laser scanning?
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What is LiDAR?
LiDAR is a remote sensing method used to generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of an object and its surface characteristics. Much like radar systems that employ radio waves to measure objects, LiDAR uses lasers to calculate the distance of objects with light pulses from 3D laser scanners, gathering 3D information about an object.
What is as-built documentation?
As-built 3D documentation is an accurate set of drawings for a project. They reflect all changes made in during the construction process and show the exact dimensions, geometry, and location of all elements of the work.
