Crew Chair Anthony Precourt yesterday "delivered a bold statement to Austin-area residents, touting benefits that he said could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars if a suitable stadium is built" to house an Austin MLS club, according to Kevin Lyttle of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Precourt said, "With the right site, we can build a world-class, privately financed $200 million soccer park and grounds." He added, "A public-private partnership of this nature could deliver community benefits in excess of $400 million in the club's first 25 years, in the form of community investments, park improvements, soccer wellness and programming." Lyttle notes Precourt's statement "represented a major blow to Columbus' hopes to retain the Crew." Precourt Sports Ventures has made "no such financial promises" to Columbus. In the 4 1/2 months since PSV "set its sights on Austin, the group has suffered setbacks, such as losing its most-desired site, Butler Shores Metropolitan Park, to push-back from neighborhood groups, activists and some city council members." But Precourt said that his group "continues to study a variety of sites, both city-owned ones and private parcels." Precourt: "We are not in a position to move to Austin if the right site is not identified" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 2/28). Meanwhile, Lyttle reports the Austin Parks and Recreation Board last night "unanimously passed a resolution" that is the "first step in removing Roy Guerrero Metropolitan Park as a potential home grounds" for an Austin MLS club. The vote asks City Council to "direct the city manager to eliminate the 400-acre Southeast Austin park from the dwindling list of city-owned sites that city staff offered" to PSV for consideration (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 2/28).
BUILDING BLOCKS: In Columbus, Andrew Erickson notes Precourt's statement yesterday came a day after Austin's USL franchise was "approved to move ahead with a team" for the '19 season. Precourt in his statement also said that PSV has retained a number of firms to "help bring an Austin team to life, including: JP Morgan for financial expertise; Armbrust & Brown for legal and real estate counsel; CAA/ICON for project management oversight and feasibility; Gensler for sports architecture and design" and Elizabeth Christian Public Relations for local media relations (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 2/28).
