FC Cincinnati's bid for a new stadium and MLS expansion "cleared a big hurdle" yesterday when a City Council majority "approved a plan to help build a home for the team in Oakley," according to a front-page piece by Knight, Horn, Coolidge & Wartman of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley called the $36M deal, which he negotiated with team officials, a "no brainer" for the city. The deal "calls for the city to invest no more" than $36M in "roads, utilities and other public works around the stadium, which team owners have said they will build with their own money" for $200M. Little time remains before MLS is "expected to vote on whether to add Cincinnati to its ranks." The deal "won a big endorsement from former Mayor Mark Mallory and Cincinnati Business Committee President Gary Lindgren, who praised the plan in a letter to council members" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 11/28). In Cincinnati, Chris Wetterich noted altogether, the deal "could provide" $52M in "roads, sewers, water, gas and electric lines for the project" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/27). Also in Cincinnati, Patrick Brennan notes infrastructure money for a soccer-specific stadium for FC Cincinnati is "expected to be voted on by the city council and approved" tomorrow, effectively giving the club "everything it needs to present its already-robust case" to MLS officials in the near future. Brennan also notes FC Cincinnati "wanted to have its expansion bid completed and ready to present to MLS" between Dec.1-7, but it is "not even clear there’s a hard deadline" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 11/28).
NOT THE FINAL PUZZLE PIECE? In Cincinnati, Jason Williams writes under the header, "Can FC Cincinnati Just Be Honest With The Public About Its Stadium Plans?" Yesterday's City Council meeting was a "dog and pony show for FC Cincinnati to get something -- anything -- down on paper to ship off" to MLS next month. That is "great" for the team. But "not so much for citizens, especially considering" FC Cincinnati President & GM Jeff Berding "opened the door to the possibility that Oakley might not even be where the stadium ends up." The belief is FC Cincinnati "really wants to build the stadium in the West End" because MLS "really wants its stadiums in the urban core"(CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 11/28). The CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER's Wetterich wrote the "potential problems" with the proposed stadium site are "numerous." There would not be "easy access -- or even, perhaps, sufficient parking -- for the 21,000 fans it will hold." It is "one of the most suburban-oriented sites in the city that is not urban, walkable or well-connected to public transportation, three desires MLS allegedly has for its millennial-oriented product" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/27).
STILL THE UNDERDOG: In Cincinnati, Scott Wartman noted many experts "see Sacramento as a shoe-in" for an expansion team, with the "theory being MLS wants one on the West Coast and one in the eastern United States." That leaves Cincinnati and Nashville as the "top two contenders for the other spot." How does Cincinnati "stack up against Nashville?" It is "close, but some experts have put Nashville slightly ahead." Nashville "vaulted to the top on Nov. 6 when its metro council approved" a $275M plan for a "soccer-only stadium on an old fairground." Other experts "agree that Nashville has a head start over Cincinnati." Soccer Stadium Digest Editor Kevin Reichard said that getting the stadium plan "in place ahead of time rather than last-minute like Cincinnati could be a factor" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 11/25).
KEYS FOR A WINNING BID: Union Owner Jay Sugarman, one of the six owners on MLS’ expansion committee, said of what he looks for when judging potential expansion cities, "The combination of ownership, stadium, community, rivalries. (Those) have always been front and center. ... The league is not rushing it. They’re doing very deep vetting, and they’re letting as many people as are interested put their best foot forward. Then we as a committee, together with the league, sit down and really start to score these expansion opportunities on these key criteria -- and there are some very good candidates." Sugarman said of a stadium's role in an expansion bid, "It’s critical. ... That stadium is the core experience. If you’re not getting that right, it’s going to be hard to do anything else. We need to make sure our stadium environment is one of the best in the city" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/28).
