Former Orlando City Soccer Club executives are taking a big swing at Florida’s Space Coast, filing permits for a mixed-use stadium complex on land controlled by the Melbourne Airport Authority that could finally plant professional soccer in Brevard County.
The plan pairs a stadium with surrounding commercial and community uses and follows last year’s announcement that the United Soccer League was teaming up with a local ownership group to pursue a Space Coast club. It is the clearest sign yet that the long-talked-about project is moving from buzz to bureaucracy.
As reported by the Orlando Business Journal, permit documents filed this week reference a “Space Coast Sports Stadium” and related mixed-use development and list development leaders with past ties to Orlando City. Those filings mark the first public permitting step for a project backers say would draw fans from across the Space Coast.
According to the USL, the push builds on a partnership announced on October 9, 2025, to bring pro soccer to Brevard County. USL Deputy CEO Justin Papadakis said at the time. The promotional group behind the bid, Space Coast Pro Soccer, lists leaders including John Bonner and former Orlando coach Adrian Heath and says it intends to develop a high-capacity stadium along with both men’s and women’s teams.
Site and approvals
Permit papers identify land overseen by the Melbourne Airport Authority as the proposed site, a detail that comes with its own planning complications. The Authority manages substantial acreage around the airfield and runway complex, according to the City of Melbourne.
The airport approved a 176.36-acre acquisition in July 2025, creating additional developable land while also ensuring any stadium plan has to navigate both Authority and city approvals. The Orlando Business Journal notes the newly filed documents push the concept out of the purely speculative phase and into formal review territory.
Next steps
With permits now in, the proposal must survive plan review, public notices, and sign-offs from the airport authority and the city council before any shovels hit the ground, a process that can stretch for months.
Space Coast Pro Soccer states that the club’s inaugural season timing will hinge on stadium and ownership development. The group says it is still evaluating specific site options while courting investors and gathering community feedback, leaving would-be fans to watch the permitting process as closely as any future league table.
