Melnyk Unveils Plans For Soccer-Specific Stadium Near Ottawa
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Melnyk Today Unveils Plans
To Put MLS Team In Ottawa |
Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk today formally unveiled plans to land an MLS expansion team in Ottawa, according to Ian Mendes of SPORTSNET.ca. The plan includes a soccer-specific stadium that could "seat up to 30,000 people ... located adjacent to Scotiabank Place in the city's west end." The stadium "would only be built if the group received prior approval for an MLS franchise." Melnyk: "We have a rare window of opportunity to make this happen. I am firmly committed to bring an MLS franchise to Ottawa" (SPORTSNET.ca, 9/16). In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch reported MLS requires that all soccer facilities for expansion franchises "must have 22,000-30,000 seats," so Melnyk's facility "will be similar to -- but bigger than -- the 20,000-seat BMO Field" that houses Toronto FC. MLS is "looking to expand to 20 teams," and Vancouver and Montreal "have already made their interest known and will get strong consideration." The three Canadian cities "will be battling the American bidders from Atlanta, Portland, Miami, Las Vegas and St. Louis," and there also is talk that Mets Owners the Wilpons are "trying to get a second MLS franchise" in the N.Y. area. There have been suggestions that the new Ottawa stadium "could also house the CFL expansion team" that OHL Ottawa 67's Owner Jeff Hunt is fronting with a group of local real estate investors (OTTAWA SUN, 9/13). Senators COO Cyril Leeder confirmed that the Senators group "will operate along the same lines" as Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns Toronto FC. But Leeder added that the soccer franchise "will be run as a separate entity except for mutually beneficial cross-marketing initiatives" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 9/13).
N.Y. STATE OF MIND: MLS President Mark Abbott said that the league and the Mets "have had ongoing talks for several years." Abbott said N.Y. is a "very important market. It is our belief that it could comfortably support two teams." In N.Y., Michael Lewis writes MLS "would love to have another team in the metro area," and a Mets-led expansion team meets two of the league's three "main criteria: a strong market and viable ownership." Now a "soccer-specific stadium must be built" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/16).
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