The City Council unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with GCS Development Tuesday afternoon for a proposed $200+ million sports and entertainment complex on the 56-acre former Ab Brown Sports Complex site, despite organized opposition urging the city to keep "public land in public hands."
The ambitious project envisions a comprehensive entertainment district featuring a 5,000-seat expandable stadium, 1,148 residential units with 25% affordable housing, retail spaces, a 180-room hotel, and recreational facilities in the Northside neighborhood. Developer Greg Scott, an 11-year Riverside resident, aims to have the stadium operational by summer 2027.
"This is really a vision to change that," Scott told the council Tuesday. "A vision to make Riverside a destination in its own right, where we enjoy our city, support our own local businesses and circulate the dollars back in our own community." The project would complement the nearby $200 million adventure sports complex the city is also negotiating, forming what could become a major entertainment destination in the Northside.
Scott's proposal emerged from what he called an "organic" process that began during his participation in the leadership Riverside cohort last October, when he heard a presentation about the city's interest in professional sports. As a minority investor in Orange County Soccer Club for nearly two years, Scott said he gained "a front-row seat to how sports can unite a community, strengthen local business, and provide a city with a shared identity."
"This project did not begin as an economic exercise, it began with a desire to not leave Riverside for Orange County or Los Angeles to find entertainment, concerts, and sporting events," Scott explained in a pre-meeting interview with the Gazette.
However, the proposal faced organized opposition ahead of Tuesday's vote. Riversiders received mass text messages from UNITE Here Local 11 urging the city to "keep public land in public hands and instead pursue a potentially lucrative lease that preserves long term control and protects the City's financial interests."
During public comment, Juan Munoz representing the hospitality workers union told the council: "We respectfully ask you to revise this ENA to include an option for a lease so Riverside can maximize long-term revenue, flexibility and accountability."
Despite the opposition campaign, all council members voiced support for moving forward with negotiations. The unanimous approval reflects growing civic ambition for professional sports that the Gazette previously reported when Riverside was named the #2 most likely location for NFL expansion earlier this year.
Councilmember Philip Falcone, who represents the Northside area where the complex would be built, spoke personally about the project's significance to his constituents and his own memories of the former Ab Brown Sports Complex.
"The idea of continuing that soccer legacy on this property is very personal to my bosses in the Northside, as it is for many Riversiders," Falcone said. He framed the exclusive negotiating agreement as simply "saying let's have a conversation" rather than a final commitment to the project.
Falcone emphasized that detailed negotiations about project specifics would come later. "All these things have to will come in due time. But our first juncture has to be let's have a conversation. Let's exclusively sit down together and have that conversation."
Addressing concerns about public subsidies, Councilmember Sean Mill pressed city staff about the financial risk to taxpayers. City Manager Mike Futrell confirmed that GCS Development would fund a $75,000 deposit to cover all city expenses, including staff time, consultant costs, and legal fees during the 12-month negotiation period.
"The whole point of the agreement is there is no cost to the city," Futrell said. The developer must replenish the deposit with additional $50,000 payments whenever the balance falls below $25,000.
"I want to alleviate the fears that this is a boondoggle that's going to cost taxpayers money," Mill said. "This is a no risk. This is us entering into negotiations with folks that are potentially bringing a game changer to our community."
The agreement includes performance milestones and exit strategies to ensure accountability throughout the development process.
The proposed stadium would use modular technology allowing expansion from 5,000 to 15,000 seats within the same footprint to meet potential Division 1 USL requirements. The facility would serve multiple purposes, hosting soccer, American football, rugby, lacrosse, and concerts.
"We think of these stadiums as community hubs," said Cristian Petschen, who leads sports and entertainment for LaBella Associates, the project's architecture and engineering partner. "This project is more than a collection of buildings. It's an opportunity to create a destination."
LaBella Associates specializes in sports-anchored mixed-use developments and serves as the preferred architect for the United Soccer League, with over 30 similar projects nationwide.
The stadium would feature specialized amenities including a pitch club facing the street, a stadium club with bar and catering facilities, and distributed sound systems designed to minimize noise impact on surrounding areas. Lighting technology would provide even field illumination without spillage to neighboring properties.
Beyond the main stadium, the development incorporates two community fields available for youth programs, an indoor sports facility called riverside sports and games featuring gyms and racket sports, and a 25,000-square-foot concert venue called riverside live that can accommodate both indoor and outdoor events.
A central park would run through the development, creating pedestrian-friendly green space. All parking would be consolidated to one side of the development to maintain the walkable character of the district.
The 1,148 residential units would include 25% affordable housing, addressing the city's housing shortage while generating property tax revenue.
The project site has sat largely vacant since 2018, when the American Youth Soccer Organization decided not to renew its lease due to declining enrollment. The Gazette reported on the uncertain future of the Ab Brown Sports Complex in one of our earliest stories, highlighting the community's concern about the underutilized 56-acre property.
The city previously issued a master developer request for proposals in fall 2023 for three city-owned sites in the Northside Specific Plan area, but received no responsive proposals. Market conditions appear to have shifted significantly, with Scott noting that "the sports sector has grown significantly as an alternative asset class" and "stadium-anchored, mixed-use developments have become more viable and more attractive in the marketplace."
City staff confirmed that both sale and lease options remain under consideration during negotiations. Senior Planner Regine Kennedy explained that "even though the language uses the word acquisition, this is really about how they would acquire rights to develop this property."
Councilmember Cervantes noted that "leasing the land was the original proposal" and expressed support for exploring lease options to maintain long-term city control over the valuable public asset.
Giorgio Cerboni, Director of Coaching at Milan International Soccer Academy and Riverside resident, voiced strong support during public comment. Citing the San Diego Surf Cup as a model, Cerboni noted that single tournament generates $120-149 million annually with 500,000 visitors and 85,000 hotel room nights.
"Riverside's just got to get on the power curve behind the ball. We've been talking about this for years," Cerboni said. "A stadium in Riverside would have huge consequences, both tangible and intangible."
The project aligns with the Northside Specific Plan adopted in 2020 after community engagement.
The exclusive negotiating agreement establishes a 12-month framework for negotiations, with one possible six-month extension. The process will include extensive community engagement, environmental analysis under CEQA, and entitlement procedures before any construction can begin.
City staff has already begun meeting with local soccer clubs and Northside community leaders to gather input. The community engagement timeline extends through 2025, with construction proposed to begin in summer 2026.
Councilmember Steven Robillard emphasized the project's significance for overcoming longstanding development barriers. "This whole area was always plagued by challenges to development because the infrastructure costs that it would take to develop this area are tremendous. And so you need a big project to support the big costs that are going to be associated with it."
"As chair of economic development, these are the kind of things you want to see in your city," Robillard said. "This is not just a one time economic development opportunity, but it is an opportunity for many others coming down the road."
The project represents a significant step toward Riverside's evolution as a regional sports and entertainment destination, building on growing civic ambitions that could reshape the city's identity and economic future.
