Well, that's no MLS for Saint Louis. The very wealthy prospective owners of an MLS team and the MLS were demanding corporate welfare from the city of Saint Louis. Funding for the stadium depended on the approval of two propositions on yesterday's ballot in the city elections.
The first proposition which was for funding the expansion of the Metrolink light rail system was easily passed. The second proposition which would have authorized diverting some of the Metrolink funds to the stadium failed.
The prospective owners and the MLS claim there is no plan b. The owners are rich enough they don't need the corporate welfare, but not getting any sets a bad precedent.
San Diego probably isn't getting MLS, either, because the ballot proposition to clear the way for an MLS stadium will probably fail there as well. SDSU no longer wants to share a stadium with an MLS team, and SDSU now wants the city to give them most of the Qualcomm Stadium land instead of selling it to the would-be MLS team owners or another developer.
Sacramento looks like the clear favorite for an MLS expansion team, but I have no idea which city has the edge for the second spot in the next round of expansion.
(04-05-2017 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote: [ -> ]Sacramento looks like the clear favorite for an MLS expansion team...
Sure - they've got a strong history of soaking their citizens for venue construction.
(04-05-2017 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote: [ -> ]San Diego probably isn't getting MLS, either, because the ballot proposition to clear the way for an MLS stadium will probably fail there as well. SDSU no longer wants to share a stadium with an MLS team, and SDSU now wants the city to give them most of the Qualcomm Stadium land instead of selling it to the would-be MLS team owners or another developer.
Sacramento looks like the clear favorite for an MLS expansion team, but I have no idea which city has the edge for the second spot in the next round of expansion.
Tampa, Cincy, one of those two most likely. The San Diego situation won't fail because of public dollars since the prospective owners are willing to privately fund the building of the stadium, it's going to fail because of people who believe they land could be sold to a private company and provide more money to the city in the long run. Soccer fans need to understand that if you want to build a soccer culture in the states that you need to start at the lower levels where there are teams that would love to have your support (Albion SC being one in SD).