On Monday, the construction manager and design team for the Austin FC stadium were announced by Precourt Sports Ventures. Local company Austin Commercial will lead assembly of the facility in North Austin.

Architectural firm Gensler was confirmed as lead stadium designer, while advisers from CAA ICON will serve as project manager and representative for PSV. Gensler and CAA ICON have been visible throughout early stadium discussions.

Another item highlighted in the press release was that the estimated cost of the stadium has risen to $240 million. An original estimate last June was $200 million, a number that rose to $225 million when the lease agreement with the city went public in December.

Team president Andy Loughnane told the American-Statesman Monday evening that one of the items that has driven that price point is a roof expansion that would make the stadium's cover the second-largest among current soccer specific venues behind Red Bull Arena, home of the New York Red Bulls. He said the canopy will be more than twice the size of the roof at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston and five times larger than Toyota Stadium in Dallas.

“We’re going to invest fan comfort and fan experience,” Loughnane said. “We know that one of the ways we’re going to have to be much more aggressive and creative is with shading and a roof canopy.”

Loughnane also clarified the stadium capacity figure of 20,500 during his remarks at a meet-and-greet inside Haymaker, a popular bar for soccer fans. Last week, documents filed in a zoning application called for 22,000 seats.

“We’re going to open with approximately 20,500 seats,” Loughnane said. “Hopefully we’ll earn our way to the point where eventually there’s demand that exceeds 20,500 seats per match. When that’s the case, we’ll have the opportunity to expand with a relatively moderately priced expansion investment. We’re taking the time to think that through in advance as opposed to reacting later.”

That would likely be accomplished with areas in the stadium capable of being filled with seats.

Loughnane acknowledged that the stadium is an evolving project, and that items such as the cost could change again. There will also be new renderings, although he said they won’t stray far if at all from the old ones. New angles, views and glimpses at interior features can be expected.

“We believe we are honing in on a fantastic design,” Loughnane said. “We should be nearing our (cost) number.”

Austin’s first soccer stadium: This week marks an exciting milestone, as Austin Bold FC makes its home debut at 7:30 p.m. against San Antonio FC at Circuit of the Americas. It will be the first pro soccer match in Austin to be played at a soccer specific venue.

I spent last weekend covering the IndyCar Classic at COTA, so I was able to watch the progress of Bold Stadium over five consecutive days. As of Sunday, there was still plenty of work that needed to be done. General manager Roberto Silva said things remain on schedule.

The stadium will be open to season ticket holders and their guests Wednesday. The United Soccer League franchise will hold an open practice starting at 5 p.m., with opportunities to meet coaches and players afterward. The team will host The Bold 100 Challenge, with players taking on 100 kids from local youth clubs starting at 7:30 p.m.

The natural grass field looks to be in great shape. Chair backs were being installed in the main grandstand throughout the race weekend, a process that had many a motor sports fan mesmerized. The stadium features permanent locker rooms underneath the stands, a canopy for shade and a video board behind the northwest goal.

MLS player of the week: Philadelphia Union forward David Accam got the award in a week that only featured five matches because of national-team games. Accam, who scored twice and had an assist in a 3-0 win over Columbus Crew SC, was my second choice. My vote went to Kekuta Manneh, an FC Cincinnati forward who calls Austin home. He scored a goal and had an assist in a 2-0 win over New England on Sunday.

What I watched: A little bit of the U.S. men’s match against Ecuador in between my IndyCar adventures. Look for my coverage of the USMNT match against Chile, Tuesday night in Houston.

What I’m watching: A busy Saturday in MLS before heading to the Bold match. I’ve got my eye on Sporting Kansas City vs. Montreal at 2 p.m. Impact midfielder Ignacio Piatti is a joy to behold.