Major League Soccer Team Moving to Hudson Valley

A major league soccer team has purchased 17 acres in the Hudson Valley to use as a new training facility.

The new facility will be built on the former Rockland Psychiatric Center site on Old Orangeburg Road, and will serve as the permanent home to the New York City Football Club.

The NYCFC is a major league soccer team that plays their home games at Yankee Stadium. The team plans to build a 25,000 square foot building that will consist of a one and a half regulation-sized grass field, team offices, space for player rehabilitation and other amenities.

In a press release, Jon Patricof, the president of the NYCFC says the move to Rockland County makes perfect sense,

Orangeburg is well known as a community that is welcoming to soccer and we appreciate the support we have already received from the town. Everyone at New York City FC is incredibly excited about becoming part of the soccer community here... We are committed to continued engagement with the communities in which we reside, following the example that City Football Group has set in our sister-clubs in Manchester and Melbourne.

Patricof says that back may the club began a four-month review, seeking input from the public for ideas on the site plan and design. He says the goal was to make sure the development would blend in to the surrounding area.

Groundbreaking will begin this Fall and the facility is scheduled to be in operation starting early 2018.