Rhode Island FC is a professional soccer team that joined the USL Championship league in 2021. The club was founded in 2019 with the goal of bringing professional soccer to Rhode Island. The organization has grandiose ambitions to create Tidewater Landing, a new soccer-specific stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with 11,000 seats.
This stadium is part of a bigger plan to revitalize the city’s riverfront. Tidewater Landing will also feature hotels, retail stores, restaurants, residential units, and public waterfront access.
Tidewater Landing and the new Rhode Island FC stadium are set to open in 2025. This state-of-the-art facility aims to enhance the club’s competitiveness in the USL Championship and cement Pawtucket as the home of professional soccer in Rhode Island.
Located along the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the new soccer-specific stadium will be the centerpiece of the Tidewater Landing development. With a capacity of 11,000 seats, it will provide an intimate and electric home venue for Rhode Island’s professional soccer team, Rhode Island FC.
The stadium’s architecture contains steep seating portions near to the pitch to generate a lively environment. It will fulfill United Soccer League standards and include luxury suites, club seats, refreshments, and expansive concourses for fan experiences. Locker rooms, training facilities, and team offices will also be available at the venue.
Brett M. Johnson is the CEO and founder of Fortuitous Partners, the real estate development business behind Pawtucket’s new Tidewater Landing project. Brett M. Johnson has highlighted that this growth is about far more than sports. He wants to make Tidewater Landing a true live, work, play environment that draws families and young professionals while also increasing economic activity in Pawtucket.
With his experience leading complex, large-scale development projects, Brett M. Johnson appears well-positioned to execute on his ambitious vision for reshaping the Tidewater Landing area into a vibrant new hub for Pawtucket and Rhode Island. The soccer stadium seems to be just one key component within a broader redevelopment strategy.
Currently, RIFC competes in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer. The club’s roster is filled with talented young players looking to make their mark, along with a few veterans providing leadership. Head coach Khano Smith, who is a veteran coach and holds a USSF Pro License. He is a former player for the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls and is a past captain of the Bermuda National Team.
As Brett M. Johnson, founder of Fortuitous Partners, noted: “This project will be transformative for the city, spurring growth and opportunity for years to come.” The stadium gives Rhode Island FC a first-class home field and enables the club to grow its fan base. Overall, the completion of Tidewater Landing will solidify Pawtucket’s reputation as an exciting place to live, work, and visit. The future looks bright for this revitalized waterfront community.
