San Diego Wave FC could trade its shared home at Snapdragon Stadium for its own soccer venue under a proposal that would also bring a hotel, convention center and shopping to the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The National Women’s Soccer League team’s owners have proposed building a 12,000- to 16,000-seat stadium on the southeastern portion of the 324-acre fairgrounds, with a projected opening in 2031, when the Wave’s current lease at Snapdragon Stadium expires.
The project, called Del Mar Dreams, was presented Oct. 13 to the board of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, which operates the state-owned property.
Wave controlling owner Lauren Leichtman and her son, Zachary Leichtman-Levine, pitched the development as a chance to give women’s professional soccer a dedicated home while turning portions of the fairgrounds into a year-round destination.
The proposal remains preliminary. The developers, including Wave ownership and Beverly Hills-based Eighty Eight Place Acquisitions, have not disclosed a total project cost. They are seeking a two-year exclusive negotiating period to study the site’s feasibility.
In a statement provided to Times of San Diego, the club emphasized that its current stadium arrangement remains intact.
“San Diego Wave FC is proud to call Snapdragon Stadium home and remain committed to our long-term agreement and valued partnership with San Diego State University,” the statement said.
“As we look toward the future of San Diego Wave FC, the concept shared with the 22nd District Agricultural Association represents an early exploration of what’s possible. We look forward to continuing those conversations with the Fairgrounds board, the City of Del Mar, our fans, and the broader community.”
Why the Wave wants a new home
Since moving into the 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium in 2022, the Wave have shared the venue with San Diego State football and, beginning in 2025, Major League Soccer’s San Diego FC.
The Wave are fourth in line for scheduling priority, behind SDSU football, concerts and other special events, and San Diego FC.
Leichtman-Levine, speaking to the fairgrounds board during its Oct. 13 meeting, described the order of priority as placing the Wave in the position of “something resembling a fourth-class citizen.”
The Wave averaged a league-record 20,718 fans in 2023, but attendance has since declined. The club averaged 13,427 in 2025 and has drawn roughly 12,000 per game this season, according to figures included in the development presentation.
Leichtman-Levine told the board that a smaller stadium would better accommodate current attendance, create a more intimate atmosphere and give the team greater control over its home schedule.
A stadium and much more
Plans include a multi-level parking structure with approximately 1,300 spaces, 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a 300-room hotel, a 125,000-square-foot convention center and about 15 acres of public space, plazas and trails.
A proposed tram would connect facilities throughout the fairgrounds and provide access to a planned rail platform.
The developers say the project would let the Del Mar Racetrack and the annual San Diego County Fair continue operating during construction.
The project would proceed in three phases. The stadium, parking structure and tram are targeted for completion in 2031, followed by shops and restaurants through 2033 and the hotel and convention center by 2034.
The developers propose privately financing the project on portions of the fairgrounds currently used for surface parking. The plans also call for replacing aging exhibit halls with a new convention center, although the developers have not released specific demolition plans. The state would retain ownership of the land under a proposed ground lease.
The presentation also outlined commitments to protect the nearby San Dieguito Lagoon, manage event traffic and prevent parking from spilling into residential neighborhoods. Environmental and traffic studies would need to evaluate those measures.
Questions remain over public land
The proposal has raised questions about whether other developers should have an opportunity to compete for use of the state-owned property.
During the Oct. 13 meeting, board member Kathlyn Mead questioned whether the district had sought competing development proposals. Board member Frederick Schenk also expressed interest in hearing from other potential developers.
Under the proposal, the developers would pay for initial site studies and planning and the district would retain the results even if the project does not proceed.
The board took no action Oct. 13. The developers are seeking an exclusive negotiating agreement at the board’s next scheduled meeting Nov. 10, which would allow them to pursue detailed plans, but would not authorize construction.
