Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
At 3 o’clock Monday afternoon, CITYPARK was a buzzing hive of activity. Contractors at field level connected a line of LED screens around the perimeter of the pitch. On the mezzanine level, St. Louis CITY SC staffers progressed through a matchday training seminar. In one of the stadium’s three club areas, crews swept and mopped to prepare for visitors. And on the touchline, mere steps from the tunnel that leads to the team dressing rooms, CITY’s chief brand architect, Lee Broughton, faced a group of assembled media and began telling the story of the region’s brand new, $461 million playground.
“Welcome to St. Louis CITY SC,” Broughton said. “It’s so exciting to be able to say that.”
In a matter of hours, that welcome will extend to the hordes of fans expected to descend on the 22,500-seat facility for the first time. CITY will open the doors for the stadium’s inaugural match on Wednesday night, an international friendly between the club’s developmental squad, CITY2, and Bayer 04 Leverkusen of the elite German Bundesliga.
Before heading to Downtown West to check out CITY’s new digs for yourself, here’s what you can expect to find inside the stadium.
VIP Pitch Club
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Located on the bottom level of the stadium, just steps away from the pitch, you’ll find this exclusive club full of booth seating and lounge chairs, wall-to-wall television screens, and a very large bar. Take note, however, that not just anyone can access this area of CITYPARK. You’ll need a premium ticket to ride the elevator downstairs and walk inside this club, which has a capacity of approximately 450 fans. For those who do have those premium tickets, the perks go beyond the inclusive food and beverage options found within.
The club is located in between both the CITY SC and visiting dressing rooms, and prior to walking onto the pitch before matches, players from both teams will line up in the middle of the room before making their entrance. “That pregame procession in the global game of football is pretty magic,” says Matt Sebek, CITY’s chief experience officer. “If you’re a member of this club, it really is the most intimate experience. You’ll be able to high-five, fist bump, and take selfies with the players.”
Together Credit Union Club
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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There’s another premium space just above the Pitch Club. This one, the Together Credit Union Club, can hold up to 1,000 fans. It’s also where you’ll find food from both Brasserie and Pastaria Deli & Wine. Those restaurants are operated by Niche Food Group’s Gerard Craft, who is moonlighting as CITY’s chief flavor officer. In other words, it's been Craft's task to curate the stadium's food options, all of which are local. You can read more about the four headlining partners here, and additional vendors here.
Concourse
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It will be crucial to download the team’s St. Louis CITY SC app before heading to the facility on matchday. Not only is the venue ticketless, vendors won’t accept cash. The good news is that you’ll be able to order concessions for halftime pickup simply by using the app. Among the order-ahead options for Wednesday are Steve's Hot Dogs (Section 105), Balkan Treat Box (Section 106), Farm Truk (Section 120), Beast Craft BBQ Co. (Section 128), and Padrinos Mexican Restaurant (Section 148).
“We spent a lot of time on this idea of being frictionless, studying the fan journey to get people in and out of the stadium quickly by using mobile ticketing, and getting people in and out of the concession stands that would normally be bogged down with lines at halftime,” Sebek says.
Three grab-and-go markets have also been designed to ease congestion before matches and at halftime. At these spots, you’ll enter through a subway-style turnstile, scan your credit card (or app), and take whichever hot food or cold beverage appeals to you. Once you have what you want, simply walk out. “There’s no line. There’s no point of sale,” Sebek says. “Through the use of cameras and sensors on the shelves, everything happens seamlessly. At a traditional concession stand, the average wait time is about six or seven minutes. We can get people in and out of here in 30 seconds.”
Concession stands for crowd favorites Steve’s Hot Dogs and Balkan Treat Box are located side-by-side on the north side of the main concourse. Not only will these local restaurants serve fans inside the stadium, the kiosks also open to the plaza on the outside. So you won’t need a ticket to the match to grab food from either vendor. “The message to St. Louis is, even if you don’t have a ticket, come on down. The best party in town will be on the plaza, where you can still get local food, music, entertainment, and be a part of the game day experience.”
Steve's Hot Dogs will open its plaza service window at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The concourses, meanwhile, are open air, giving fans a view of the playing surface while they’re away from their seats.
Team stores
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Tucked into the southeast corner of the stadium is one of CITY’s official team stores. It’s called CITY Goods. Across Market Street, located in a standalone 9,000 square-foot space, is CITY Pavilion. In addition to selling team merchandise, CITY Pavilion also houses a cafe.
CITY’s first jersey, which will be unveiled Wednesday morning, will be available for purchase in both stores, as well as on the plaza located on the east side of the stadium prior to the Leverkusen match. Pickup begins at noon.
ULTRA Club
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Team officials want this space, with its sweeping views of the field and downtown corridor, to cater to fans on matchday and beyond. The ULTRA Club has already hosted dozens of events this fall, and there’s even a wedding planned for the room next spring. Next week, the ULTRA Club will also host viewing parties for the U.S. Men's National Team's matches in the 2022 FIFA Wold Cup.
Expect to find additional local vendors here, including The Fattened Caf and Malinche.
Mill Creek Valley monument
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
A long-awaited public art installation was recently unveiled outside the southwest corner of the stadium, where local artist Damon Davis created a tribute to the former Mill Creek Valley community. The predominantly Black neighborhood was demolished in 1959 as an “urban renewal” project, and Davis’ work aims to elevate the people who once called the area home.
“The pillars are symbols,” Broughton says. “They’re abstracted hourglasses. The idea is that the gold is a reference to the soil from the land, and it’s paused in reverence.”
The display features plot lines from the community, as well as names of former residents that were found in the last available Census.
"It's something that is a part of the fan experience," Broughton says. "Fans will move through it to get into the stadium, so we want education to be a part of what happens here, as well as dialogue and festivities."
