The Columbus City Council has "created a public entity" that would own the planned Crew stadium and "could issue bonds to help construct it, but the status of a deal for the team to buy needed land is unclear more than nine months after the project was unveiled," according to Bill Bush of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. The petition approved by the Council to create the new Confluence Community Authority said the Crew, acting as the project’s developer, “entered into that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement” with the land’s owner, Nationwide Realty Investors. It also said the team “owns or ‘controls’ the property" within the meaning of the law creating the authority. However, the petition goes on to spell out what happens if that land-purchase deal falls apart: "'If the transfer (of land) does not take place' in accordance with the agreement, Nationwide Realty Investors’ parcel will be automatically removed from the new authority, or the council could even repeal the authority." The authority will be "governed by nine members: five appointed by the city and Franklin County, and four by the team" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 9/17).
