New York City Football Club (NYCFC) has awarded Turner Construction the main contract to build the city’s first-ever ‘soccer-specific’ stadium.

The 25,000-seat stadium will be designed by HOK and is the centrepiece of a wider community development by the Queens Development Group that will include 2,500 units of affordable housing, a 650-seat public school, a hotel and open space.

Construction on the US$780m (£631m) project aims to be completed for the Club to play in its new stadium for the 2027 Major League soccer season.

NYCFC chief executive Brad Sims said: “We’re extremely excited to announce HOK as the architect and Turner Construction Company as the general contractor for our future home. It is clear that HOK and Turner are the right partners to bring our vision of a world-class stadium that is integrated into the local community.

“Soccer is known around the globe for its incredible in-stadium atmosphere, and we are committed to delivering a best-in-class experience for our fans in a stadium that reflects the greatest city in the world.

“This project will be transformative for Queens; the ‘world’s borough’ is the perfect location to build the city’s first stadium for the world’s game.

“Stadiums are where people come together, and we share a vision with HOK to ensure our stadium becomes a destination of soccer for our fans while playing an important part in the development of Willets Point.

“HOK is renowned for designing some of North America’s most successful stadiums, arenas, and entertainment districts, and we are looking forward to working with them as we enter the ULURP approval process. Turner is recognized as a leading builder of stadiums, arenas and ballparks – including one dozen Major League Soccer stadiums – that support the communities in which they are built.”

Turner Construction Company, a subsidiary of German contractor Hochtief, has a dedicated sports division with a strong track-record of stadium construction. Its clients include professional teams in soccer, American football, baseball, hockey, and basketball.

Turner has worked on several major sports venues in the US including TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, SoFi Stadium in California, Lower.com Field in Ohio, the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, New York’s Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden, and the Levi’s Stadium and Intuit Dome in California.

“We are honoured to be a part of the team building the new home for NYCFC. The stadium will elevate the experience for this incredible team and their fans,” said Turner vice-president Charlie Whitney.

“From the very beginning of our involvement, we understood the importance of this project and the positive impact and transformation it will bring to the entire community. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with HOK and the entire team over the next several years to achieve our common goals, deliver on our commitments, and make this project a reality for NYCFC and New York City.”