PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla (CBS12) — New renderings released this week offer the clearest look yet at the future home of Port St. Lucie Soccer Club, a project city leaders approved after months of public debate and discussion.

The planned 6,000-seat stadium is expected to serve as more than just a venue for professional soccer. Developers have said the complex will also host concerts, festivals and other community events while helping anchor a larger entertainment district featuring restaurants, retail shops, hospitality space and recreational areas.

It will be built in the Walton & One redevelopment district in southeast Port St. Lucie, near the intersection of U.S. 1 and SE Walton Road.

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The renderings arrive nearly a year after residents packed City Council meetings to voice concerns about the proposal. Questions surrounding traffic, noise and financing dominated public discussions before city leaders ultimately approved the project.

For many supporters, the release of the images marks a major milestone.

Robert Webb, a Mako Soccer Club coach and Port St. Lucie resident of 25 years, said he has followed the project from the beginning and attended early city meetings in support of the team.

“It’s been very exciting. We’ve been patiently waiting,” Webb said. “We were at the original meetings with the city. We were invited there to show our support for the new team coming in, the programs that they’re going to have for our community and developing Port St. Lucie.”

Webb said the stadium’s arrival reflects the growing popularity of soccer across the city and could create new opportunities for local players and families.

Other residents see the development as another step in expanding Port St. Lucie’s sports identity.

“We already got Clover Park, so we got baseball. Might as well bring in soccer — especially around the World Cup,” resident Carmine Petosa said.

Families who have followed the project said they are encouraged to see progress moving forward.

“We’ve been watching it and just kind of keeping track of the progress of it, and I think it’s great it’s coming to our area,” resident Edward Petrosyans said.

His daughter, Ella, who plays soccer, is already imagining what it could be like to compete in a larger venue.

“I’d love to play in a bigger one, so it would be more fun and we would have more space,” she said.

Groundbreaking is expected later this year, with construction currently targeted to begin in November.

The stadium will host Port St. Lucie SC matches beginning in 2028, along with concerts, festivals and other community events throughout the year. The club will begin play in USL League One in 2027 before moving into the new stadium the following year.

“We’re excited to share the next step in bringing Port St. Lucie SC’s vision to life,” Chief Operating Officer Diego Delledonne said in a statement. “These new renderings offer a closer look at a project designed not only as the future home of our club, but as a destination for the entire community. Every aspect of the project has been developed with the goal of creating memorable experiences for families, fans and visitors throughout the year.”