The sports fields at Napa Valley College may soon get a $12 million upgrade — at no cost to the college.
At a meeting Thursday, March 19, the board of trustees voted unanimously, with trustee Ines DeLuna absent, to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with local sports groups Napa United and Napa Valley 1839 FC to explore the development of an 1,800-capacity soccer stadium, two additional fields and a half field training area at the site of the college’s existing facilities.
The upgrades, according to a plan presented by youth soccer group Napa United and adult soccer club Napa Valley 1839 FC, will be funded entirely by legacy donors and a bank loan. While the college will receive facilities improvements at “low or no cost,” the sports groups will have better access to local athletic fields and the community will get new and improved recreational and gathering spaces, per college staff.
“We just felt this was a big part of the community that we could use,” Arik Housley, owner of Napa Valley 1839 FC, said. “The football field (at the college) is very rundown and nobody can really use it much. The new soccer stadium would go on that spot.”
Per the “substantially complete” agreement, the college may not negotiate with any other entity for use of the site for six months, or longer if extended by mutual agreement. All existing contracts, including the ongoing agreement with Napa-based company STR Entertainment for a summer music festival at the Napa Valley College football field, are exempt. The Blue Note music festival at the college is scheduled to begin in 2027 and the contract runs through 2028.
Over the next six months, the local sports groups must raise $3 million to fund the project, per the financing plan. The goal of the current memorandum of understanding is to provide the conditions necessary to support a “definitive agreement” for the development and operation of youth and adult competitive soccer fields on the college campus, it says.
At present, local sports groups use the fields of Napa Valley Unified School District or Justin-Siena High School. However, these arrangements allow only a limited window of time for practices, Housley said. Further, if Napa Valley 1839 FC wants to go professional, it needs a soccer-specific stadium, he said.
The new complex, as proposed by Napa United and Napa Valley 1839 FC, will be used for sports other than soccer too. This includes baseball, lacrosse and football. First dibs on the fields, Housley said, would be for Napa Valley College’s athletics teams. The complex will also have the potential to host concerts and other community events.
Napa Valley Sports and Entertainment, owned by Napa Valley 1839 FC, will manage and maintain the complex and the college will receive an annual base rent as well as a percentage of the revenue, if the project moves forward. For oversight, the complex will have an advisory board with college representation, per the proposal.
Even if everything goes according to plan, the project sponsors do not expect construction to begin for at least two years from now.
“Thank you for what you’re doing for the community,” trustee Jeff Dodd told the representatives of the local sports groups Thursday. “I want to do everything I can to help you get there. You guys aren’t getting paid for this. You’re doing this out of the kindness of your hearts and because of how much you care about Napa and this community. I’m very excited to move forward with this.”