LOS ANGELES — There is a lot of work to be done before the Los Angeles Football Club makes its debut in Major League Soccer in 2018.

Tuesday was another step on that journey.

The club’s owners and local politicians, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, took part in a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the club’s future home, a 22,000 soccer-specific stadium on the site of the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

The new home will be known as the Banc of California Stadium. It was announced Tuesday that Banc of California would be the naming partner. The stadium is expected to open in time for the 2018 MLS season.

“We start now,” president and owner Tom Penn told the crowd. “This is real. Welcome to the work zone. We’re excited about 2018.

“What a cool challenge. We were an idea back in late 2014 and to get to this now, where it’s on and it is real, has been very rewarding. Still a lot left to do though, a lot.”

Penn said the timeline for the destruction of the Sports Arena is three to four weeks.

• PHOTOS: Check the scene from the LAFC groundbreaking ceremony

The club has undergone a sort of reshuffling among the ownership group, with Larry Berg coming in as lead Managing Owner. Berg, senior partner of Apollo Global Management, has been joined by co-managing owners Bennett Rosenthal and Brandon Beck. All three were previously limited partners in the franchise.

Managing partner Henry Nguyen now has title of vice-chairman and owner. The ownership group remains an extensive list including the likes of Earvin “Magic” Johnson, actor Will Ferrell, former U.S. women’s soccer great Mia Hamm and husband and former baseball star Nomar Garciaparra and motivational speaker Tony Robbins.

“We want to make the soccer experience great,” Johnson said. “This stadium will provide jobs in the community and we want to put out the best team possible. Soccer is booming right now and we want to be the best in MLS.”

• VIDEO: Magic Johnson speaks about LAFC’s impact

The stadium is expected to bring more than $350 million in private investment into South Los Angeles, helping stimulate an otherwise overlooked area.

“For years, developers have ignored South LA,” councilman Curren Price said. “Exposition Park is where history is made. Today we begin a new chapter.”

Congresswoman Karen Bass called the new stadium a “huge contribution to South L.A.”

The stadium will be designed by LA-based architectural firm Gensler. The plans calls for a public plaza that will have restaurants and stores open year-round. The stadium is expected to generate nearly 3,000 jobs, with 40 percent of the openings slated for local hires.

LAFC is scheduled to debut in 2018. Expansion teams Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC are set to join the league next year.

The club will be MLS’ second attempt at two teams in the Southern California market. Chivas USA made its debut in 2005, sharing the then-Home Depot Center with the Galaxy.

Chivas USA struggled in just about every aspect as a franchise and was eventually folded in 2014, becoming just the third MLS franchise to do so, joining the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny from 2001.

“I think Chivas (USA) was too early for its time,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. “It wasn’t managed properly. It was our first expansion team since I had came in as commissioner starting in 1999. We’ve learned a lot more. We’ve moved on and we’re excited about LAFC.”

The time will soon come for LAFC to start the construction process for the on-field product.

Former MLS midfielder John Thorrington was hired in December as executive VP of soccer operations. He has been through the expansion process as a player, when the Vancouver Whitecaps joined MLS in 2011.

“As we look ahead to 2018, there’s stuff we could be doing every day to put ourselves in the best, strongest position looking ahead to that date to ensure that we have a competitive team,” Thorrington said. “It is not easy as an expansion team, so I’m incredibly grateful for this runway that I have and that we have as an organization to put ourselves in the best position.

“The player conversation is probably not exactly on the same timeline as the coach. I would say the coach is a bit further forward, but the player conversation is much of the same, identifying the right, key targets and cornerstones we want to build around.”