In a world where movers and shakers, dreamers and schemers are often seen as coming a dime a dozen, the notion that an 8,000-seat soccer stadium could be built in downtown Albany might not be so pie in the sky.

“We know that soccer is on the upswing, not the downswing,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “There is still a lot of growth that’s going to happen in professional soccer.”

Sheehan believes the area is a perfect fit for a Major League Soccer franchise and she seems convinced the city is on the verge of pulling it off.

“I’m very excited about this and this is very far along in the process,” she pointed out. “that is why I am advocating so strongly for it.”

After visiting Albany earlier this week, MLS officials were reportedly impressed with Ed and Lisa Mitzen’s plan to build an 8,000-seat downtown stadium that would anchor a $300 million entertainment district with hotels, restaurants, apartments and more.

“I think anybody with a brain can realize that’s going to be a tremendous help for my business for sure,” said Shane Spillenger, who opened up Ophelia’s Restaurant at the corner of Broadway and Hudson Street six weeks ago.

The proposed site for the soccer stadium complex is in his backyard.

“You do hear a lot of these pie-in-the-sky things and they do fizzle out sometimes but it does seem like the excitement and the potential behind this seems a little bit further along than some of the other things I’ve heard in the past,” he said.

The key to luring a team to Albany is building the stadium. the key to building the stadium is receiving money from New York State.

“The MLS is getting approached like crazy from cities and they love this area,” said Ed Mitzen, who along with his wife, Lisa, would own the soccer franchise. “We’d be the only one in upstate New York but they can’t waste time. They’re not going to hang on for three years.”

“We know that New York State has supported stadiums in other places,” Sheehan pointed out. “This is a relatively small ask compared to what it costs to build large football or baseball stadiums.”

If all goes as planned, the eyesore of decaying buildings and crumbling asphalt parking lots that currently characterize the stadium site could be converted into a soccer paradise by June of 2026.