Red Bull Arena (New Jersey)
| "The Fortress" "The Cathedral of American Soccer" |
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| Former names | Red Bull Park (2006–08) prior to opening |
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| Address | 600 Cape May Street |
| Location | Harrison, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°44′12″N 74°9′1″W / 40.73667°N 74.15028°WCoordinates: 40°44′12″N 74°9′1″W / 40.73667°N 74.15028°W |
| Public transit | |
| Owner | Red Bull GmbH |
| Operator | Red Bull GmbH |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Field size | 120 × 75 yards |
| Surface | Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 19, 2006 |
| Opened | March 20, 2010 |
| Construction cost |
$200 million ($220 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Rossetti Architects |
| Structural engineer | Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor, LLC. |
| Services engineer | URS Corporation |
| General contractor | Hunter Roberts Construction Group |
| Tenants | |
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New York Red Bulls (MLS) (2010–present) New York Red Bulls II (USL) (2015-2016) |
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Red Bull Arena is a soccer-specific stadium in Harrison, New Jersey that is home to the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. Featuring a partial transparent roof, it is located on the waterfront across the Passaic River from Newark and approximately 7 miles (12 km) west of lower Manhattan. With a seating capacity of 25,000, it is the fourth-largest soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer.
The original plan, announced on July 1, 2004, was to move the MetroStars (as the New York Red Bulls were known at the time) from their home at Giants Stadium by the beginning of the 2006 season. Negotiations between MLS and the state of New Jersey dragged on until an agreement was announced on August 5, 2005, for the MetroStars to build and complete construction of a new dedicated soccer facility for the 2007 season. Concerns about environmental clean-up at the selected site forced another delay. Additionally, though the groundbreaking took place September 19, 2006 and construction was set for November 2007, that was delayed by one month when Red Bull GmbH bought out the MetroStars club from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), changing the club's name in the process. After projections of opening during the 2008, and then the 2009 season, on January 23, 2009, it was announced that the arena opening would be delayed until 2010.
According to Erik Stover, Red Bulls managing director at the time, Harrison Redevelopment Agency chairman Peter B. Higgins was "quite simply the reason that the New York Red Bulls have a new home in Harrison. His vision and leadership guided us through numerous difficulties." The late Mr. Higgins' contribution is memorialized by the street naming as Pete Higgins Boulevard at the main gates along the west side of the stadium.
In addition to purchasing the team, Red Bull bought out AEG's $100 million share of the stadium, an after effect of lasting disagreements between the two corporations regarding their plans for the facility. Their differences prompted a significant delay in the early stages of the stadium's construction. After the naming rights of the soccer team were acquired, leading to the name Red Bull Park, Red Bull instituted a number of changes to the stadium's original design, which sparked tension between the Austrian-based energy drink company and AEG. Red Bull opted out of AEG's plan to construct a stage in the stadium for performances, one that would have increased profit margins for the group.
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