An 8,000-seat USL League One stadium and mixed-use district are planned across from Melbourne Orlando International Airport
MELBOURNE, Fla. Space Coast Soccer Club has closed on a 53.8-acre site directly across from Melbourne Orlando International Airport, securing the land for the club’s USL League One stadium and a new mixed-use district. With the site in hand, the club is targeting its first match for March 2028.
The property sits along NASA Boulevard and Hibiscus Boulevard, at the center of one of Brevard County’s busiest employment hubs. Its neighbors include the L3Harris Technologies headquarters and a Collins Aerospace facility.
Closing on this land is the moment this project stops being a plan and starts being real. We now control the ground our stadium will sit on, and we can move forward with the City on entitlements, design and construction with full confidence in the site.
John Bonner, Chairman, Space Coast Soccer Club
What’s planned
- An 8,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium built to host more than soccer, with room to expand to 10,000 seats
- A dedicated training facility for the club’s men’s and women’s programs
- About 60,000 square feet of restaurants, bars and shops, designed to keep the district busy year round and not just on match days
The land is held by STADËLON District Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of the club.
A new purpose for the site
The site was originally envisioned for a Crystal Lagoons development. Development partner Jonathan Cohen said the decision to change course was made with the community in mind.
Many of you may recall that a few years ago, this site was originally envisioned for Crystal Lagoons, a very different project. Getting here took many years — together with the Airport Authority, we never stopped working to secure the approvals needed to close on this land. During that time, the market changed, conditions changed, and part of doing right by a community is knowing when to change course for its benefit. Together with John Bonner and the entire team behind him, we made the decision to redirect this land toward the stadium, because we believe it’s what’s best for the growth of this area and for the people of Brevard County and Melbourne.
Jonathan Cohen, Development Partner
The team behind the club
The ownership group helped build Orlando City SC from its founding in 2010 through its MLS debut in 2015. It includes John Bonner, Tommy Bonner, Chris Gallagher and Benn Brown, along with Sporting Director Adrian Heath, the former Everton star who coached Orlando City through that run.
What’s next
The club will now work through the City of Melbourne’s site plan and permitting process ahead of groundbreaking. Want to be first to hear about season tickets and fan events? Sign up for updates below.
Media contact: Tom Bonner, tombonner@spacecoastsc.com, 407-401-3748