Portland Mayor Mark Dion is voicing his thoughts on plans by the Hearts of Pine for a soccer stadium at Cassidy Point.

The team says it’s entered an agreement to buy land, and Dion says they’re indicating they won’t be asking for city tax money to finance the stadium.

“One of the principles was very clear that they were exercising real diligence in trying to come up with a private financing model that would make it work,” said Dion.

The team says the project will be mostly privately funded, and costs are expected to exceed $50 million.

Dion says he’s not sure whether the city will be asked to provide other infrastructure for the soccer stadium. He also says there’s a major question about where parking will come from for the planned 9,000 to 11,000-seat stadium

“We still struggle to meet the expectations of neighbors around the Sea Dogs, because that’s been their history,” Dion said. “People park in some lots, but a lot of it spills out into the Oakdale region. This will be far greater than that.”

The Hearts of Pine says it plans to partner with nearby property owners and parking facilities to provide event parking.

The team hopes to start construction next year, with the goal of completing the stadium in early 2029.