Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Pro Soccer Eyes Return with New Fresno Stadium at Selland Arena Site
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
December 8, 2020

Share

Professional soccer will return to the Central Valley, with a possible stadium at the current parking lot in front of Selland Arena.

Fuego FC will play in the the USL 1 league starting 2022 as an expansion franchise, team officials tell GV Wire℠. The team is eyeing two locations to build a soccer stadium — downtown Fresno or in Madera County near Valley Children’s Hospital.

“We’re working diligently to get one of them across the finish line,” team president Chris Wilson said. “The goal would be to build a 5,000-seat stadium in the (Selland  parking lot.”

The Fresno City Council is taking the first step allowing for the sale of Convention Center land at its meeting on Thursday. The council will vote on declaring Selland Arena, Valdez Hall and the adjacent surface parking lot as surplus property.

The action would not include Saroyan Theatre, the new convention center, the parking garage or the Cosmopolitan Tavern and Italian Grill — which is at the corner of the Selland lot.

New Owners and Big Plans for Fuego Club

“We’re working diligently to get one of them across the finish line … The goal would be to build a 5,000-seat stadium in the (Selland) parking lot.”Fuego FC president Chris Wilson

The Fuego, with roots dating back to 2003, are returning as a professional team.

The owners are the Ruelas family, who own several local businesses that cater toward the Hispanic market.

The team will sign and develop its own players, who could later transfer (through the sale of their contracts) to other teams.

“One of our our main goals is local player development. We feel like we can field the team made up of of largely local players and compete at a high level in this league,” Wilson said.

USL 1 is considered a third-division league, equivalent to the Double-A level in minor league baseball. It currently operates with 11 teams, with planned expansion over the next few seasons.

The Fuego will also develop a new logo.

“We’re inclusive that this is a community developed project. We’ve been spending the last six months taking advice from those who who built Fuego from the very beginning with hopes to have them help us elevate this to a new place where the Fuego never been before,” Wilson said.

Plans also include adding a women’s team, an amateur team (which would play in USL 2) and a soccer academy.

Tony and Francisco Alvarez, who owned the Fuego team in the past, are helping advise the new version of the franchise.

Housing Development Has First Crack at Selland Site

State law requires affordable housing builders and other public entities to have the first right to purchase the Selland site. A law that went into effect last January, AB 1486, requires the city to notify state and local agencies, along with affordable housing developers, about the sale.

“The state law outlines that we must first consider a use for housing must first be prioritized and any applicant wishes to build housing on the property,” Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias said.

Other public entities would have a second shot at the property, before it can go to the private sector. Arias said the Fuego are the only private group to express interest thus far.

If the city decides to sell to the private sector, it does not necessarily have to go to the highest bidder.

“We’re allowed under the law to be award it to the best fit,” Arias said, “whoever is going to do the best use for the property, for the city’s interest.”

The Fresno Foxes played pro soccer at Chukchansi Park from 2018-2019 (GV Wire/David Taub)

Dyer Prefers Soccer

Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer wants soccer on the Selland land.

“My preference is obviously to turn that into a entertainment hub for soccer. I believe the demand throughout the Valley is for us to have a soccer team downtown,” Dyer said.

Dyer envisions the Fuego turning the area into a “soccer magnet” for tournaments and development.

Arias isn’t committing yet as to what he prefers to see, either a soccer stadium or housing. He wants to see the “best return on investment” and a project in the “best interest” of downtown revitalization.

Dyer thinks there is plenty of land for housing in and around downtown.

“I anticipate downtown housing to go from 3,000 to 10,000 residents. We’ve been working with some developers and investors to ensure that that does happen as well as Blackstone Avenue,” Dyer said.

Kelli Furtado, an executive with the Fresno Housing Authority, said that agency is “not evaluating the Selland Arena site for an affordable housing development.”

Building a New Facility While Keeping Selland/Valdez Intact

Wilson, the Fuego’s president, said the team plans to build a modular stadium, with the Selland parking lot offering just the right amount of space. He compared it to the stadium of Phoenix Rising of the USL Championship league.

“It’ll be a very similar look to that. (It won’t be) identical because it’s on a different footprint, but similar style — modular seating with a tip-down seating, VIP space, a supporter section and kind of a general admission section on each of the sides,” Wilson said.

He had no estimation on a cost, but said Phoenix spent $7.5 million to build its facility.

The team would keep Selland Arena and Valdez Hall standing, with improvements.

“The ideal scenario would be to turn that area into a soccer hub — futsal courts, nightly indoor soccer spaces and utilize it on on a daily basis, not just game day. So we want to create activity there on that 365 days a year situation,” Wilson said.

Casino Arizona Field in Scottsdale, Arizona (Image: Shutterstock)

Chukchansi Park Not an Option

Fresno lost its professional soccer team — Fresno FC, also known as the Foxes —following the 2019 season. The team played in the USL Championship league, at the Division II level (one step below Major Soccer League).

Owner Ray Beshoff announced he was moving the team to Monterey, partly because the team could not find a permanent home in Fresno. However, the team stayed dark for the 2020 USL season.

Wilson said leasing Chukchansi Park — primarily home of the Fresno Grizzlies baseball team — did not make sense.

“It’s pretty clear the writing’s on the wall that a professional team renting a facility for 17 days a year, 1) that doesn’t make any business sense; and 2) it doesn’t provide any place for development. With our main goal being local player development, we need a place to to utilize 365 days a year for training, development, camps, clinics, field usage,” Wilson said.

Even without the Selland site, the team plans to move forward with building a soccer facility at the Madera County location. The stadium could be built there as well.

City Losing Money on Selland Arena

Selland Arena was built by the city in 1966 with the Fresno State Bulldogs basketball team as its main tenant. When the Save Mart Center opened in 2003, the Bulldogs and many top concerts and sports acts moved to the new arena.

The city pays management company ASM Global $145,000 a year to take care of the properties that make up the Fresno Convention Center (Selland Arena, Valdez Hall, along with the Saroyan Theatre and Convention Center).

It still costs at least $1 million annually to operate.

“Every year we’re losing revenue in the (facilities’) operations. The area has become far more dire with a complete shutdown,” Arias said.

A Brief History of the Fuego

The prior incarnation of the Fuego operated as an amateur development team playing at Chukchansi Park and other Central Valley locations.

The team’s owners — which included the Alvarez brothers, the Marquez brothers and Chris Cummings, then owner of the Fresno Grizzlies, sold to Beshoff.

The team operated in 2018 as Fresno FC U-23, an amateur team.

The new Fuego, along with the USL, bought the club’s name back from Beshoff.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Waymo’s Robotaxis Now Open to Anyone Who Wants a Driverless Ride in Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Man Accused of Filing Fake Disability Claims in $300K Fraud Scheme

DON'T MISS

Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

DON'T MISS

Economists Warn of Inflation and Debt Risks in Trump’s Second Term Plans

DON'T MISS

How Many Smoke Shops Is Too Many? Fresno Plan Would Allow Only 49

DON'T MISS

US Says It Will Not Limit Israel Arms Transfers After Some Improvements in Flow of Aid to Gaza

DON'T MISS

Who With Valley Ties Could Land Spots in the Trump Administration?

DON'T MISS

Tulare Gang Member Gets Life Without Parole for 2022 Murders

DON'T MISS

Who With Valley Ties Could Land Spots in the Trump Administration?

DON'T MISS

Gov. Newsom Said No, but California Voters Overwhelmingly Said Yes

UP NEXT

Chris Wallace Is Leaving CNN, Eager to Explore New Media Landscape

UP NEXT

US Regulators Investigating Whether Engines on 1.4 Million Hondas Might Fail

UP NEXT

When to Catch the Last Supermoon of the Year

UP NEXT

Mattel Says It ‘Deeply’ Regrets Misprint on ‘Wicked’ Dolls Packaging That Links to Porn Site

UP NEXT

4B Movement: After the Election, a Call for Women to Swear Off Men

UP NEXT

FBI Thwarts Iranian Murder-for-Hire Plan Targeting Donald Trump

UP NEXT

Wave of Racist Texts After Election Prompts FBI Scrutiny

UP NEXT

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

UP NEXT

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

UP NEXT

Visalia Rollerblader Suffered Major Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Economists Warn of Inflation and Debt Risks in Trump’s Second Term Plans

31 mins ago

How Many Smoke Shops Is Too Many? Fresno Plan Would Allow Only 49

43 mins ago

US Says It Will Not Limit Israel Arms Transfers After Some Improvements in Flow of Aid to Gaza

50 mins ago

Who With Valley Ties Could Land Spots in the Trump Administration?

2 hours ago

Tulare Gang Member Gets Life Without Parole for 2022 Murders

3 hours ago

Who With Valley Ties Could Land Spots in the Trump Administration?

4 hours ago

Gov. Newsom Said No, but California Voters Overwhelmingly Said Yes

4 hours ago

Mike Tyson-Jake Paul: How to Watch the Fight, Time, Odds

5 hours ago

Travel in the West Bank Is a Tale of Two Journeys

5 hours ago

Chris Wallace Is Leaving CNN, Eager to Explore New Media Landscape

5 hours ago

Waymo’s Robotaxis Now Open to Anyone Who Wants a Driverless Ride in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – Waymo on Tuesday opened its robotaxi service to anyone who wants a ride around Los Angeles, marking another milestone in...

11 mins ago

11 mins ago

Waymo’s Robotaxis Now Open to Anyone Who Wants a Driverless Ride in Los Angeles

A Fresno County man has been indicted on mail fraud charges for allegedly submitting over $300,000 in falsified disability claims using stolen identities. (GV Wire File)
24 mins ago

Fresno County Man Accused of Filing Fake Disability Claims in $300K Fraud Scheme

Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Dec. 15, 2016. (AP File)
28 mins ago

Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

31 mins ago

Economists Warn of Inflation and Debt Risks in Trump’s Second Term Plans

43 mins ago

How Many Smoke Shops Is Too Many? Fresno Plan Would Allow Only 49

50 mins ago

US Says It Will Not Limit Israel Arms Transfers After Some Improvements in Flow of Aid to Gaza

Photo of David Bernhardt
2 hours ago

Who With Valley Ties Could Land Spots in the Trump Administration?

Nathaniel Lujano, 23, of Tulare, a known gang member was sentenced to life without parole for two 2022 murders, committed to benefit a criminal street gang. (Tulare County DA)
3 hours ago

Tulare Gang Member Gets Life Without Parole for 2022 Murders

Search

Send this to a friend