New Mexico United took another step toward securing a permanent home on Thursday night as the Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission approved the club’s plan for the venue at Balloon Fiesta Park by a unanimous vote following a lengthy hearing that included four hours of public comment.

An adjusted proposal which will lower the height of the stadium’s roof to three stories, move the location of the facility further from local neighborhoods, add a broader roof structure to aid noise mitigation and adjust the stadium’s lighting was met with approval by city commissioners.

“We commend the EPC on re-affirming the previous November approval with a unanimous vote,” said United owner and Chief Executive Officer Peter Trevisani in a statement. “The work that has been done to improve the design, capture fugitive light, mitigate traffic and improve the quality of life for the community has paid off. We still have a lot of work to do with the neighbors, city and state but today was an important and positive step to bringing a multi-use stadium to Balloon Fiesta Park. We look forward to building a facility that will make New Mexico proud.”

Since its launch in the 2019 USL Championship season, New Mexico United has been one of the best-attended clubs in the league. Excluding the 2020 season – during which the club played its full schedule away from home due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico – the club has ranked in the top four in attendance in the league every season.

The proposal will now head to a land-use hearing officer before returning the Albuquerque City Council for approval. The City Council previously approved a lease agreement for the venue, and the proposal has received backing from local officials including former Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and New Mexico state senator Antonio Maestas.

“The multi-use stadium will be a very large private investment into the park,” said Jackie Fishman, Principal at Consensus Planning. “That will also address some long-standing issues and benefit the community.”