In a "major win" for Nashville's MLS expansion hopes, the city's Metro Council last night "voted overwhelmingly to approve Mayor Megan Barry's financing plan" for a new $275M MLS stadium on the city's fairgrounds, according to a front-page piece by Joey Garrison of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. The council "voted 31 to 6, with two abstentions, to sign off on a plan to issue" $225M in revenue bonds for the stadium project, giving Nashville's expansion bid a "critical boost as it competes against 11 other cities for an MLS franchise." The action "could make Nashville one of two favorites, along with Sacramento, to land an MLS expansion team" after Nashville Soccer Club Owner John Ingram has "done what several rival cities haven't -- secured financing" for a soccer-specific stadium. City Councilman Russ Pulley said, "As stadium deals go, this really is a standard-bearer of those." Over 450 spectators, including "many wearing Nashville Soccer Club gear, produced an overflow crowd at the Metro courthouse for the final vote." Ingram said, "Of course the final decision on the team won’t be ours, but tonight Nashville checked off the final item that MLS needed to see." The financing "overcame criticism over a part of the deal to give the Ingram-led ownership group 10 additional acres of city-owned fairgrounds land for a future private development next to the stadium." If Nashville does land a team, Barry’s administration "plans to later ask the council to approve two separate" $25M general obligation bond deals to "pay for fairgrounds upgrades and infrastructure work" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 11/8). ESPNFC.com's Jeff Carlisle noted Ingram's potential ownership group also includes Vikings Owners Mark, Zygi and Leonard Wilf (ESPNFC.com, 11/7).
GOOD AS GONE? In Austin, Kevin Lyttle noted while Austin city officials "consider helping" the Crew move from Columbus, one key selling point "could be the construction of a large practice complex to help the city’s soccer infrastructure." The Austin City Council tomorrow "will discuss a resolution to direct staff to begin an analysis of city-owned land for possible relocation" of the Crew. Austin-based attorney Richard Suttle, a registered lobbyist for MLS in Austin retained by Precourt Sports Ventures, "touted a multi-field complex that area players could enjoy." Suttle said, "First-class facilities like these often have a mix of uses spring up around them." Suttle, who worked as the project attorney for Circuit of the Americas, "alluded to the possibility of expanding a sports medicine facility to include community use." Suttle added that the two privately funded projects "would be located separately." PSV President Dave Greeley said that East Austin locations "would get strong looks for both, pegging the cost of the stadium" in the $150M-200M range and the practice facility at $20M-40M (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11/7).
