FC Cincinnati has now met all requirements from MLS to land an expansion franchiseFC CINCINNATI
The Cincinnati City Council last night "voted to sign off on a community benefits agreement for FC Cincinnati's West End stadium plan," according to Cameron Knight of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. The amended agreement came "after nearly 10 hours of negotiations between the team and the neighborhood." The vote is the last action City Hall needed "to finish the package to build the 21,000-seat soccer stadium." FC Cincinnati has now "met the last major requirement outlined" by MLS to "secure a franchise." One major change to the agreement approved last night was that the West End Community Council is now a "full party to the contract instead of a third-party beneficiary." If city council "approves the benefits agreement, the only thing that stands in the way" of FC Cincinnati's MLS bid is MLS itself. FC Cincinnati will "meet with MLS and try to secure its bid to the league." The league has "given no timeline on when it will finalize its decision on expansion teams" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/17). Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority President Laura Brunner said that the city's port authority "will own the stadium and lease it to FC Cincinnati." The team said that MLS Commissioner Don Garber and league execs "will visit Cincinnati and tour the West End site at some point although that date hasn't been determined" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/16).
IN SCRAMBLE MODE: In Cincinnati, Patrick Brennan writes as things currently stand, FC Cincinnati "would be in something of a scramble to ready itself" for the '19 season if it received the proverbial "green light" from MLS officials. But the organization has "proven itself adept at operating under tight deadlines." Every day FC Cincinnati has been "unable to close the door on its MLS bid," a '19 entrance to the league becomes "increasingly unlikely" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/17).
