Future US Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Minnesota United FC has announced Populous as the lead architect for its US$120m (£80m, €114m) stadium.

Earmarked for the Snelling and I-94 site, known as Midway, between Minneapolis and St. Paul, the project will be due for completion in early 2018.

Kansas City based-Populous will design the 20,000-capacity stadium, which becomes the latest MLS partnership for the sports architecture firm. It also designed Sporting Kansas City’s Sporting Park, and is in the process of overseeing plans for Orlando City SC’s 28,000 capacity stadium.

The project also strengthens Populous’ affinity with the area after previously designing Target Field, home of Major League Baseball (MLB) team Minnesota Twins, and TCF Bank Stadium, which belongs to the University of Minnesota and is the home stadium of college football team Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Minnesota United was granted an expansion place in MLS in March 2015 and will begin to play in the league in either 2017 or 2018. The team currently plays in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

The mixed-use stadium, which will be located within 30 minutes of almost two million Minnesotans, will be financed privately without using tax money.

“We have been having conversations with Bruce Miller (senior principal at Populous) and his team over the past two years and have every confidence that they are the right group to help us realise our vision of a world-class soccer stadium in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul),” said Minnesota United president Nick Rogers.

Miller said MLS had “found a great home” in St. Paul, adding: “The site’s central location, access to public transit and exposure to I-94 make it a model site for a MLS venue. As a building block in growing the Minnesota United brand, the stadium will become the heart and soul of soccer in the northern Midwest.”