Cornell Students Studied Potential Cleveland Stadium Site
Urban planning students visited Cleveland to draft transit and facility plans for a new 10,000-seat soccer stadium.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Soccer
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Graduate and undergraduate students from Cornell University visited Cleveland during the week of October 12 to research urban planning for a proposed soccer stadium. The team is currently developing site plans and vision narratives for the potential facility.
Why it matters
The collaboration aims to shape the future of the South Gateway area by integrating a professional soccer stadium with the city's public transit network. This project provides critical urban design objectives to guide the development of the proposed 10,000-seat venue.
Nearly two dozen graduate and undergraduate students are participating in this workshop. They are analyzing a proposed 10,000-seat stadium location on the East 9th Street Extension south of Interstate 90.
The players
Cornell University
This private Ivy League research university is based in Ithaca, New York, and maintains a prominent Department of City and Regional Planning.
Mitch Glass
He is a professor at Cornell University who led the urban planning student group during their research visit to Ohio.
Cleveland Soccer Group
This organization is spearheading efforts to bring professional soccer infrastructure to the city and is collaborating on the South Gateway project.
The details
Led by professor Mitch Glass, the students spent time on-site gathering data and brainstorming infrastructure links between the stadium and existing transit corridors. The team will finalize their comprehensive site plans, graphics, and development narratives by the end of the year.
Timeline
The student workshop began in September 2026.
Researchers visited Cleveland during the week of October 12, 2026.
Students will submit final project deliverables in December 2026.
Season Trajectory
This project follows a pattern set by the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) standard by prioritizing public transit integration in new stadium planning. The initiative positions the potential stadium as a hub for future urban growth within the South Gateway corridor.
The study directly impacts the future development trajectory of the South Gateway area, which currently lacks a professional-grade soccer facility. Residents and stakeholders can expect to see the finalized site plans in December, which will detail how the 10,000-seat stadium may link to local transit.
The takeaway
This academic collaboration highlights the growing importance of infrastructure-led planning in sports facility development. By focusing on transit connectivity early, the project seeks to ensure that the stadium serves as a practical, accessible asset for the community.
What happens next
The student project is scheduled to conclude in December 2026 with the formal submission of site plans, graphics, and vision narratives.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments regarding Soccer in the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Clevelandmagazine.
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