An HOK Image of where the new MLS stadium would have been built in downtown St. Louis
St. Louis will remain a two-team sport. City voters defeated the measure to help pay for a Major League Soccer Stadium by a 53 to 47% no vote on Prop 2 which would have provided $60 million from a business tax to help build a stadium.
The funding plan actually needed both Prop 1 and 2 to pass. Proposition 1 was a sales tax increase that would fund MetroLink expansion, which was approved by voters. Proposition 2, an increase to the use tax paid by businesses by half a cent lost with 30,603 ‘no’ votes to 27,363 ‘yes’ votes.
After the state rejected a proposal to give any money to a new stadium project, Prop 2 was a restructured attempt that failed. If there is any hope of St. Louis getting an MLS franchise, that $60 million gap would most likely need to be filled by team ownership.
Dan Courtemanche, Major League Soccer’s executive vice president of communications, released a statement via Twitter.
MLS STATEMENT ON ST. LOUIS PROPOSITION 2 VOTE pic.twitter.com/hE4DUsmoFR
— Dan Courtemanche (@courtemancheMLS) April 5, 2017