St. Louis MLS stadium, expansion bid in jeopardy after funding proposal is dropped

A proposal to ask St. Louis voters to approve $80 million in funding for a new soccer stadium has been dropped, threatening the effort to lure a MLS expansion team.

Associated Press | Jan 10, 2017

St. Louis MLS stadium, expansion bid in jeopardy after funding proposal is dropped /

ST. LOUIS (AP) — An alderwoman has dropped her proposal to ask St. Louis voters to approve $80 million in funding for a new soccer stadium, threatening the effort to lure a Major League Soccer expansion team.

Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia said Tuesday that the proposal submitted by the investor group SC STL would be too costly for a city already struggling to pay for more police and other pressing needs. As a result, she dropped a bill to place the issue on the April ballot.

"I don't feel comfortable passing along legislation and asking voters to pass something that's going to put us further in debt in the city," Ingrassia, a Democrat, said in a phone interview. "It would be a revenue loss for the city, and at the very least I would like to see it revenue-neutral, hopefully revenue-generating."

Mayor Francis Slay said he's hopeful a "clearer picture" will emerge by the end of the week.

• STRAUS: St. Louis MLS expansion bid hinges on its stadium plan

"We have an ownership group that has committed itself to investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the City of St. Louis to develop a swath of vacant land and bring a Major League Soccer team to our City," Slay, a Democrat, said in a statement.

"We remain committed to working with SC STL to develop a sound financial proposal to put before the voters," Slay said. "That said, we don't yet have an agreement. There are a lot of components that still need to come together, especially support from the state."

State support seems unlikely. Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican who took office Monday, opposes any state funding. Investors were seeking $40 million in state tax credits.

An SC STL spokesman declined to speculate on the future of the project. A statement from the investor group said Ingrassia "has not called or responded to us so until we hear from her directly, it's hard to respond to statements made in the media."

Potential, future soccer stadiums in America

North Carolina FC

The Raleigh bid for an MLS expansion team unveiled a stadium plan for a downtown venue within the boundaries of Peace St., Salisbury St., Lane St. and the N.C. Railroad easement.

Miami

David Beckham's ownership group in Miami has released a rendering for a stadium in the Overtown neighborhood, the latest desired site for an MLS expansion bid that kicked off in 2014.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

Portland Timbers

The Timbers are adding 4,000 seats as part of a $50 million renovation to Providence Park.

Portland Timbers

The Timbers are adding 4,000 seats as part of a $50 million renovation to Providence Park.

Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United will share Mercedes-Benz Stadium along with the Atlanta Falcons in a state-of-the-art venue.