BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Pro Soccer president Peter Marlette Jr. said Friday that the team's selected site for a new stadium will be safe amid years of environmental concerns about the location. The new stadium, announced at a news conference on Friday, will be at the corner of Elk Street and Lee Street in Buffalo's Valley neighborhood. The stadium will have 7,600 seats with a standing room capacity of around 10,000. The goal is to break ground this summer and have the team begin play in the United Soccer League Championship, the second-highest level of professional soccer in the United States, in 2026. The site is the former home of the athletic complex of Medaille University but has been subject of many environmental concerns over the years, mainly due to the presence of PVS Chemical, a chemical plant located next to the sports complex. In 2021 the plant was ordered by a judge to immediately reduce its emissions of sulfur dioxide below the national air quality standards. However, it is unclear if the plant has reduced their emissions, or to what levels they have reduced it to. WIVB News 4 has reached out to both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Clean Air Coalition of WNY for clarity and is waiting to hear back. Judge orders PVS Chemical to reduce emissions The sports complex was closed for some time due air quality, but re-opened in 2021. The air quality had been a source of complaints from both nearby residents as well as visitors to the athletic complex. Sulfur dioxide is a toxic, colorless gas with an unpleasant odor that can cause respiratory concerns if inhaled. It is especially dangerous to those with asthma. The site was an industrial area for 200 years and was severely contaminated. Companies such as National Aniline, Allied Chemical and Buffalo Color did business in the area before PVS. Marlette Jr. as well as Jon Williams, the CEO of OSC, an environmental remediation and demolition company, said that the site is safe. They said their research included environmental studies as well as monitoring the area air quality. "There has been a tremendous amount of air quality monitoring and environmental studies done," Marlette Jr. said. "But yes, we have looked into absolutely everything and they have been monitoring for years." In a statement released by PVS Solutions late Friday afternoon, the company said that it did not support the location of the stadium. "PVS strongly supports athletics and sports as well as the City of Buffalo’s economic improvement, but this is simply not the location for such a facility," the statement said. "Beyond serious legal questions it makes no sense to build a large stadium next to a chemical plant (55 Lee St.) that has been there for 100 years and is not going anywhere as we continue to make significant investment in our operations. Ours is the only plant of its kind in Western New York, employing about 40 members of the United Steelworkers union, manufacturing critical chemistry used to make high-tech electronics for New York’s all-important semiconductor industry." Marlette Jr. pointed to the fact that Buffalo Pro Soccer Academy, formerly known as FC Buffalo, has been using the fields for games for over a year. "In 2008 and 2009 this was one of the most contaminated sites in all of New York State," Williams said. "It felt a little bit like a dystopian landscape. All these old pipes and vessels, remnants of a chemical plant. As you walk around today it's a very different neighborhood and it's a very different venue." Why this stadium site? The Lee and Elk site was chosen over a pair of potential downtown sites. The stadium will come at a cost of $10 million, but it will be entirely privately funded by several companies and investors, including Buffalo Bills long snapper Reid Ferguson, who will be part of the ownership group. Marlette Jr. said they don't anticipate needing any additional public funds. The site will also be about a half-mile away from the future ShotClub Social, a 45,000 square foot golf and entertainment facility similar to a TopGolf at 555 Elk St., which has a planned opening date of summer 2026. Stadium renderings. Photo: Aidan Joly/WIVBStadium renderings. Photo: Aidan Joly/WIVB It had been believed that the club preferred a downtown site near KeyBank Center, but potential higher costs and the stadium possibly not being ready by 2026 stuck a fork in those plans. "Our goal all along has been to play professional soccer in 2026 in Buffalo, and that was not going to happen with that site, or it became apparent that that was probably not going to happen with that site," Marlette Jr. said. The stadium will be placed on top of the current baseball and softball fields, while some fields in the complex will remain and be used for training facilities as well as a youth academy. The stadium site it also adjacent to The Powerhouse, an event venue located on Lee Street. Plans for the stadium also include other sporting events, concerts and various community events. A potential women's team playing at the facility is in the works too. WIVB News 4's coverage on Buffalo Pro Soccer More on the USL The team will play in the USL, which is one level below the MLS, North America's premier soccer league. The USL currently has 24 teams and Buffalo is one of several planned expansion cities in the coming years, including Jacksonville, Fla., Brooklyn, N.Y., Lexington, Ky., and Dallas. The closest current team to Buffalo is located in Pittsburgh. "The national view of Buffalo as a perfect market for USL professional soccer is tremendous," Marlette Jr. said. "USL executives approached me about bringing this team to Buffalo. I already had it in the back of my mind but they identified this market as absolutely ripe, and frankly embarrassing that we didn't have professional soccer at this level already." The league also recently announced a three-tier promotion and relegation system set to begin in 2027, similar to what is done in other soccer leagues around the world. "The national expectation," he said, "is that this will be a successful club in a successful market." You can watch Friday's full news conference in the video player above. Latest Local News 5 Buffalo police officers placed on leave amid Granville investigation Man found guilty for fatal Del Denby shooting in 2024 Buffalo Pro Soccer president says new stadium site will be safe from past environmental issues Crowds build at Buffalo Niagara International Airport for spring break Ice boom set to be removed gradually due to winter damage Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. ...read more read less