| Location |
 2006 - Vincent Monroe |
| 460 Oak Street, Rochester NY, 14608 | |
| Phone / Fax | |
| 585 428 6841 | |
| Website | |
![[WWW]](https://rocwiki.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small} https://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=21474845211 |
Vincent Monroe Rochester Community Sports Complex is the current name for a multiuse sports field and facilities owned by the City of Rochester. Built as a soccer stadium for the Rochester Rhinos (![[wikipedia]](https://rocwiki.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/inter.png){kind=small}
USL), it has also played host to the former Rochester Rattlers (MLL), the former WNY Flash (WPS), and Rochester Lancers men's and women's soccer teams. It is located in the JOSANA Neighborhood.
The stadium opened on June 3, 2006 only a few blocks from the Rhinos' old home at Frontier Field and was built to serve the local teams and fans of sports played on a rectangular surface. Ample public financing from New York State made the construction of the then PAETEC Park very controversial, especially in light of the private ownership of the park. However, the former brownfield site in a struggling part of the city was briefly on the tax rolls (until the original owners defaulted and the city took over) and has hosted a number of events each year.
The stadium was for several years operated by the ownership of the Rhinos under a lease agreement. The decision of the Rhinos late in 2017 to suspend play for a year threw this agreement into question; after lengthy negotiations the arrangement was continued for 2018, without Rhinos games but with 4 USL matches (featuring Toronto FC II) and home games for the Rochester Lancers and Lady Lancers. The Rhino's lease was terminated at the end of 2018. The city Department of Recreation and Human Services began operating the facility for training and sports events in spring 2019; an indoor training facility (the "R-Training Center") opened in September 2021.
A new local club, the Flower City Union, will play their inaugural season in the soccer stadium in 2022.
Naming of the Park
2018
On April 25, 2018 it was announced that the stadium would again be known as Marina Auto Stadium. Length and price of the arrangement were not disclosed, however by mid-2019 the stadium was being referred to in news stories as "the downtown stadium."
2017
On January 24, 2017 the stadium was renamed Capelli Sport Stadium following an agreement on naming rights with New York City-based Capelli Sport. Length and price of the arrangement were not disclosed.
2016
With no suitable sponsorship agreement available for 2016 the venue was renamed Rochester Rhinos Stadium.
2011-2015
On February 10, 2011, it was announced that the new name of the stadium would be Sahlen's Stadium after the deal with Marina Auto expired. This was part of a multiyear naming rights agreement with Sahlen's Packing Company, Inc. of Buffalo, NY - owned by the same family that owned the WNY Flash. The cost of the agreement was not released, but was estimated at about $2 million.
2009-2010
Marina Auto Stadium (sometimes referred to as Marina Auto Park): At the halftime for the Rhinos' homeopener against the Montreal Impact, held May 30th, 2009, Marina Dodge was declared the winner in the naming rights pool of 328 entries. They chose the name Marina Auto Stadium which will remain the name for the entirety of the 2009 season.1. Marina had been a team sponsor since 1996 and purchased 25 of the 328 $1000 entries to win the name in 2009.2 Arrangements were later negotiated to extend the naming rights through 2010.
2006-2009
PAETEC Park (named for PAETEC) was the original stadium name. On December 11, 2008 it was announced that PAETEC Holding Corp. would not renew their naming rights agreement when the contract expires in April 2009. The former http://www.paetecpark.com website is now dead.
State Audit
"The state initiated an audit of the Rochester Rhinos stadium project in June 2008 to determine whether $19 million in state grant money was used properly. The money was meant to help fund the stadium's design and construction. The city took ownership of the stadium after the prior owner defaulted on a loan. The audit was conducted at Duffy's request.
...
Due to the lack of due diligence performed on the Rochester Rhinos Soccer Stadium project, one local and two state agencies did not undertake sufficient review and oversight to ascertain whether a $19 million public grant was a good investment of taxpayer dollars, according to an audit released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli at a Rochester news conference today
Comments:
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2009-06-02 06:48:32 The park is currently listed as Rhino Stadium on the Rhino's website. See also the details of the naming actions on Wikipedia Rochester Rhinos Stadium —BradMandell
2010-04-15 08:25:10 The Wikipedia article in my 2009-06-02 comment now redirects to the new Wikipedia article in the header above. My research shows the City of Rochester still as owner of the stadium from when it was taken over due to defaults on bank loans by the previous owners. —BradMandell
2010-04-15 08:40:17 Discovered that the name Marina Auto Park is used in the Buffalo media and in the Pop Warner HS football press - some articles have 5 or 6 references split between the two names. —BradMandell
2011-04-06 18:38:10 I'm kind of sad to see that a Buffalo company is going to get its name plastered above our fine city instead of our local Zweigle's. However, if you've ever been to Ted's in Buffalo, Sahlen's makes a good foot-long dogger. —BatGuano
2011-07-20 09:23:15 The /New York Times/ soccer blog mentions Sahlen's Stadium today - http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/after-world-cup-a-leagues-smaller-stage/ - and links to this RocWiki article! Recognition at last.... —MarkJackson
2012-07-21 08:16:26 I have been here for one lacrosse game. Parking at the stadium was easy to get in and out. Even if the stadium isn't in the best section of town, I felt safe while at the stadium. —bonnev659
2017-01-24 11:59:35 "Sahlen's Stadium" (2010-15) was followed by "Rochester Rhinos Stadium" (2016); "Capelli Sport Stadium" is the new name, announced today (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/soccer/2017/01/24/capelli-sport-stadium-new-name-rochesters-downtown-soccer-park/96982750/) —markjackson
