Pittsburgh Riverhounds want to triple Highmark Stadium seating in $75M expansion plan

Pittsburgh’s professional soccer team wants to super-size its stadium with a $75 million expansion meant to capitalize on record attendance and a passionate fan base.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have applied for a $10 million state grant to help triple seating capacity at Highmark Stadium along the Monongahela River at Station Square.

But the team is interested in more than just soccer as it plans to expand the 11-year-old stadium, which it says is due for a major renovation.

It’s also looking to host concerts and other events.

The stadium currently holds about 5,500 people. The team’s plan is to expand up to 15,000 seats, according to an application to Pennsylvania’s redevelopment assistance capital grant program.

The Riverhounds set an average attendance record last year with more than 5,000 fans a game during the regular season. They set single-game attendance records of more than 6,100 fans during an exhibition match against the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer and then again in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship playoffs.

In a statement, the team said that its expansion plans are to ensure the club can continue to grow in light of its popularity and finishing at the top of the regular-season standings in the league.

As envisioned by Riverhounds owner Tuffy Shallenberg, a first phase of development would happen between this November and next May. It would include a new rooftop deck with additional suite seating, an upgraded locker room, and improvements to group event areas, according to the application.

A second phase of the project would add 1,200 seats to the rotunda areas and expand other facilities between fall and spring of 2026.

The last phase, which would start in October 2006 and end in spring 2028, would add another 8,300 seats and build a new press box.

The Riverhounds said soccer’s popularity is on the rise in the U.S. The team is banking on seats being filled if Highmark Stadium were to expand its capacity.

The USL Championship league saw match attendance grow 25% last year. The league surpassed 2 million fans for the entire 2023 season, a new single-season record.

Highmark stadium was completed in 2013 for more than $10 million. The stadium added 1,000 seats in 2018, and then another 500 seats a few years ago.