Tidewater Landing Stadium

Centreville Bank Stadium is a 10,500-seat soccer-specific stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the home of Rhode Island FC, a member of the USL Championship. The stadium is located on the banks of the Seekonk River as a part of a larger neighborhood development called Tidewater Landing.

Naming rights for the new stadium were announced on April 8, 2025 with Centreville Bank becoming the official stadium naming partner.

History

Development and construction

Development

The stadium was first announced on December 3, 2019, by then-Governor Gina Raimondo and Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien at an estimated cost of US$80 million, with a seating capacity of 7,500. The development, called Tidewater Landing, aimed at developing the riverfront and creating a new mixed used development at a total cost of around $400 million. The stadium was expected to open by 2022, ready for the Rhode Island FC to begin play in the 2022 USL Championship season.

Construction over the development was hindered with problems regarding the site, as toxic materials due to industrial waste led to dangerous levels of toxins being found in the soil on the development site. However, by October 2022 the contaminated waste was cleared and construction was greenlighted, with Dimeo Construction was named as the primary construction contractor.

Financial issues

Funding stood to be a constant issue for the Tidewater stadium. With worries over safeguards and guarantees over public money being used properly, with the need of private funding and multiple rounds of grants to help contribute to construction. June 2022 put the project into question, as the state government stood at a deadlock on whether or not to accept a request by developers for $30 million more dollars to continue construction, jumping the projected cost from $59 million to $126 million. After a 6–5 vote, with two abstaining, $36 million in funds, that was originally set aside towards funding apartments and homes on the development site, was redirected all towards the construction of the stadium.

Public bonds again were again withheld in March 2023, citing market worries due to rising inflation and continued effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. By early 2024, all funding for the stadium had been secured, mostly in the form of bonds expected to be paid back over a time period of thirty years, totaling around $54 million.

Construction

A ground-breaking ceremony was hosted in August 2022, before being paused due to a lack of funding. Construction resumed by the fourth quarter of 2023, before construction again was paused in early 2024 due a new issue arising on the subject of funding. Finally, construction was finally continued by February 2024. The main structure beams were all put into place by mid-June 2024, celebrated in a topping-off ceremony.

Installation of seats began in late September 2024. By December 2024, installations of the seats, sound system, and video board had been completed, and the artificial turf began to be installed.

Opening

The stadium opened on May 3, 2025, for Rhode Island FC's scheduled regular season home game against San Antonio FC, resulting in a 0-0 draw and an over-capacity announced attendance of 10,700. The team could host a game in the third round of the 2025 US Open Cup before the regular season opener. The first goal in stadium history was scored by Tomás Chancalay of the New England Revolution on May 7, 2025 in the Revolution’s 2–1 2025 U.S. Open Cup win over Rhode Island F.C..

Soccer

Centreville Bank Stadium has been home to the Rhode Island FC of the USL Championship League since its opening on May 3, 2025. It has also hosted a US Open Cup match and is currently hosting its first international friendly match, Puerto Rico v. Nicaragua.

International matches

Rugby

On February 19, 2025, it was announced that the final three regular season matches of the inaugural Women's Elite Rugby season for the Boston Banshees would be played at Centreville Bank Stadium.

On April 23, 2025, Major League Rugby announced Centreville Bank Stadium as the host of the 2025 MLR Championship, the first time the event will be held in a market that does not host an MLR team.

References

{{USL Championship venues

Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Soccer venues in Rhode Island
Sports venues in Rhode Island
Sports venues completed in 2025
USL Championship stadiums