Toronto FC II to relocate to Barrie in 2028 with new downtown stadium

"Dream bigger."

It was a simple piece of advice from Jamie Massie to Peter Raco five years ago as they imagined what professional soccer in Barrie could look like.

Now, that dream is becoming reality.

City officials, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, MLS NEXT Pro and Barrie Stadium Group announced Tuesday that Toronto FC II will relocate to Barrie in 2028 and play in a new soccer-specific stadium in the city's downtown on the land that was formerly the home of Barrie Central Collegiate Institute.

"Our commitment is to build more than a team," Raco, introduced as the president and CEO of Barrie MLS Next Pro, said at the announcement in front of hundreds at Meridian Place. We're here to build the community club — a club that inspires our daughters and sons to also dream bigger — A home ground for the loud, and for the quiet, for the old and the young, for the lifelong football supporters, and for the first time fan."

The proposed 3,500-seat venue will become the future home of the club while also serving as a community facility capable of hosting concerts, public events, and other amateur sports like lacrosse and rugby. Barrie Stadium Group will partner with the city to develop and operate the venue.

"This right here will be the most iconic small stadiums in Canada," Raco told reporters. "Every square foot of that stadium has been designed with the intention of being soccer-specific and football first."

Other features include a covered grandstand, 16 suites, a club lounge, 250 fieldside seats, a rooftop terrace, and turf that will be designed to be played on from late February to late October.

It's expected that the capacity of the grounds could expand from the 3,500 permanent seats to 6,500 for sporting events and 8,500 for concerts.

Mayor Alex Nuttall says the City of Barrie will be fronting $26 million of the expected $130 million cost of the project, with the difference to be paid by MLSE and Barrie Stadium Group. He added that Tourism Barrie estimates the economic impact of the club will be around $57 milliion, and could rise up to $64 million when factoring in the ability to host concerts at the venue.

The City and MLSE are still going through the site planning process for the project, but its expected that shovels will hit the ground in late 2026 or early 2027.

Toronto FC II competes in MLS Next Pro, the professional development league operated by U.S.-based Major League Soccer which was founded in 2020.. The team develops young players for Toronto FC, with some eventually being selected to represent Canada on youth national teams.

Currently, the club plays its home games at York Lions Stadium on the campus of York University. When the club relocates to Barrie in 2028, it will continue competing in MLS Next Pro under a new name and new branding, which officials say will be revealed at a later date.

Tuesday's announcement comes as soccer continues to grow in popularity across Canada following the country's role as a host of major international competitions and ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Chris Shewfelt, vice president of business operations for MLSE, says the prospect of seeing future stars of Toronto FC and various national teams should excite the Barrie community.

"This is where we can set roots long-term, and it's going to help our pathway," he said. "We're creating footballers for our first team, for national teams, [and] to go on to bigger and better things... all the kids coming through our program will have a great home here in Barrie."

Twenty players competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup had developed through MLS Next Pro, including six on Canada's squad.

Additional details about the stadium project, founding memberships, season tickets, sponsorship opportunities and community partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months.

"We're always gonna keep evolving," Raco said. "We have a lot of work to do. and we're hoping to build one of the best clubs in Canada."