Situated on the Berkley Riverfront in downtown Kansas City, this $120-million project spans seven acres. The world’s first stadium purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team, the 11,500-seat stadium was completed in time for the KC Current’s home opener in March.

The projects location adjacent to the Missouri River required extensive coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. When establishing the elevation of the playing surface, the design team accounted for potential groundwater and varying river elevations in the design of the subsurface air and field drainage systems.

In addition to the coordination of the pitch design and fluctuating river conditions, an existing 54-in.-dia concrete storm sewer line was discovered, extending from one corner of the site to the other. Since this line had to remain in place and active, crews carefully installed the auger cast pile foundation for the grandstand bowl structure.

Piles were strategically located around the sewer pipe and, in many cases, bridging the pipe. The project team also had to reline the pipe to ensure its performance well into the future. The facility is equipped with 180 REC Pure-R solar panels, estimated to produce approximately 100,000 kWh of energy annually, along with additional solar panels atop the main gate entrance and team store. Low emission and locally sourced materials were chosen when possible and native, low-maintenance plants surround the stadium to decrease water use.