DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines soccer fans will have another year to wait to see a professional soccer match in their city. Pro Iowa, the group that won a grant to develop a soccer stadium in downtown Des Moines in 2021, said Monday their plans for completion will extend into 2025.
Their initial announcement said the stadium would be ready to go for the 2024 season.
Charley Campbell, the secretary for the Iowa Soccer Development Foundation, said this new timeline was more reasonable than their initial goal.
“As we reevaluated the construction timeline — factoring in supply chain and cost challenges, remediation of the DICO site and conversations with vendors — we determined that a 2025 opening date is more reasonable," Campbell said in a press release. "This gives us the best possible chance for the team to play a full season.”
Pro Iowa is building the stadium at the former Dico Superfund site near Gray's Lake.
Earlier this year, the United Soccer League, the second-highest ranked soccer circuit in the U.S., finalized a deal to bring a professional soccer club to Des Moines. They are still seeking input on the team's brand, including its name and crest.