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Group puts plans in motion to bring MLS to St. Louis

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Carolyn Kindle Betz from The Taylor Family of Enterprise Rental Car made the announcement they’ve teamed up with Jim Kavanaugh, founder of World Wide Technology to make a bid for one of the last two MLS expansion teams.

A new, St. Louis-based ownership group led by Carolyn Kindle Betz, who is Senior VP of Enterprise Holdings and Executive Director of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and six other female members of the Taylor family, along with Andy Taylor, Executive Chairman of Enterprise Holdings, and Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology, announced plans to bring a Major League Soccer club to St. Louis.

The proposal will mostly be privately funded. Some funding will come from “user taxes” that allows for the collection of taxes from only those who attend events.

The preferred site for an open-air soccer stadium sits adjacent to Union Station in downtown St. Louis. The stadium would also be used for concerts, high school and college tournaments, camps and more.  The design of the new stadium has not yet been completed, but will not be the same stadium that was first proposed for this site in 2016.

“We envision an MLS team as yet another way to increase the energy and momentum to an already wonderful city that means so much to us,” says Andy Taylor in the release. “The addition of a third major league team speaks to our desirability as a place to work, live and play. St. Louis is a major league city that deserves the many benefits that come with an MLS club.”

“A new St. Louis MLS team would be the first female majority-owned club in the league’s history and one of the few in all professional sports,” Kindle Betz added at the press conference.

MLS is looking to expand to two more cities and St. Louis hopes to grab one of those two slots.  Early estimates say that if St. Louis is awarded a franchise, the club could be ready to play by 2022.

Soccer stadium gets a no-vote in St. Louis

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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.

Major League Soccer stadium proposal passes through committee after an initial defeat

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An HOK Image of where a new MLS stadium would be built in downtown St. Louis

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen Ways and Means Committee passed a proposal for the MLS stadium after a second round of voting on Thursday.  The proposal now shifts to the full Board of Aldermen.  After an original 6-2 defeat of the vote, the committee reconvened and passed the proposal by a 5-4 vote after a ticket tax was added to the proposal.

The ticket tax would generate $7.5 million to $12 million in general revenue for the city of St. Louis.  Money initially dedicated to developer Paul McKee is also added to this project.  The rest of the stadium budget is from a “use” tax.

If the Board of Alderman approve the new proposal, it will then move onto a judge who must act in order to get the measure on the April ballot for a public vote.

“SC STL is very grateful for the thorough review and passage of our bill by the Ways and Means Committee and we now look forward to a public hearing and the full Board of Aldermen in the coming weeks. There is clearly more work ahead, but today’s result brings us much closer to a ballot measure that will allow city voters the opportunity to make St. Louis a future home for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise,” said spokesperson for SC STL Jim Woodcock in a statement.

The initial proposal was asking for city residents to vote on $60 million.  That is no longer in play.

21st Ward Alderman Antonio French is against a soccer team coming to St. Louis, but tweeted:

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Vote for St. Louis soccer stadium tax credits put on hold after Greitens “welfare for millionaires,” comment.

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An HOK Image of where a new MLS stadium would be built in downtown St. Louis

The state Development Finance Board postponed a vote during their scheduled meeting on Tuesday in Jefferson City, delaying a request from the city of St. Louis for $40 million in tax credits to go toward a $200 million downtown stadium plan to bring an MLS team to St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, SC STL, the group trying to bring a professional soccer team to St. Louis, requested the postponement after Governor-elect Eric Greitens called the plan “nothing more than welfare for millionaires.”

SC STL hopes to set up a meeting with Greitens before considering another request for vote.  A St. Louis Board of Aldermen also introduced legislation last week that could ask city voters to approve up to $80 million for the stadium, which would be the next step in bringing a third professional franchise to St. Louis.

The Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles after Governor Jay Nixon’s task force was unable to secure a stadium plan that met the approval of Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL.

Group offers to pay public portion of stadium to bring MLS soccer to St. Louis

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Aerial view to west of stadium front door at Market and Union Station Credit HOK

Foundry St. Louis, an ownership group looking to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to St. Louis, is offering to pay approximately $80 million, or the public portion of a development, to help build a soccer stadium.

Foundry’s CEO Dan Cordes sent a letter to Dave Peacock, chairman of the St. Louis Sports Commission, saying Foundry would cover the cost of what Peacock’s group is seeking for public subsidy. Peacock is co-founder of SC STL, a separate group looking to build a $200 million MLS stadium on property just west of Union Station.

When Governor Jay Nixon assigned his task force, led by Peacock, with the responsibility of developing a stadium plan to keep the Rams and the NFL in St. Louis, part of that North River plan included building a stadium that would house the Rams as well as a soccer franchise.  When the deal with the NFL fell through, Peacock continued to explore opportunities to bring an MLS team to St. Louis on a smaller scale.

Shortly thereafter, Foundry St. Louis came into play with a plan of their own that would utilize land on St. Louis University. Cordes has stated that his group wanted to build the stadium without raising any taxes. It was estimated an MLS stadium would cost at least $100 million.  Expansion fees paid to MLS could be as high as $200 million.

MLS currently has 20 teams and will expand to 24 by 2020. Teams in Atlanta and Minnesota will start next season. The league has said that after 2020, it will add four more teams, and that’s where St. Louis hopes to fit in.

I spoke with Brian Feldt, Senior Reporter for St. Louis Business Journal, who explains how the two competing groups could end up working with each other in the end to bring professional soccer to St. Louis.

 

Major League Soccer exploring opportunities in St. Louis, but is the city really ready to move forward?

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The North Riverfront area could be home to an MLS team (photo/Google maps)

The North Riverfront area could be home to an MLS team (photo/Google maps)

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Major League Soccer is interested in exploring options of building a team in St. Louis as the league hopes to grow from 20 to 28 teams by 2020.  MLS Commissioner Don Garber is ready to look at potential downtown stadium sites (i.e. the area proposed for the new Rams’ stadium) as well investors and owners.

Garber has made no promises that St. Louis would get a franchise, but told the paper, “This is a unique moment in time where we can really, finally see if St. Louis is MLS-ready.”

That’s my biggest question.  Is St. Louis ready to jump back into another pro sports relationship?

Governor Jay Nixon’s task force laid out early in their visions for the North Riverfront stadium site, that the stadium could also host soccer events.  Back in May of 2015, Garber visited with the task force to hear ideas.  Now that the Rams are out of the picture, the site could be exclusive to an MLS team.

Just a couple of weeks ago, a St. Louis architecture firm unveiled plans for what a soccer stadium would look like just south of Union Station on Clark Street.  Garber said MLS prefers downtown sites and hasn’t looked at any other sites.

How much of this is the MLS being proactive and how much of this is the city of St. Louis and civic leaders trying to rebound from a bad breakup?  Perhaps more of the latter and there are three key pieces that will play a part in this…fans, ownership and a stadium.

“Nobody argues that St. Louis is not a great soccer market,” Garber said. “It has a passionate fan base, and a great soccer history.”

There is no doubt a following for soccer.  Back in November, Busch Stadium hosted a USA World Cup qualifying game and drew 43,000 fans.  Back in May of 2013, Busch Stadium also hosted two of the most storied English Premier League clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City in an exhibition match.

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St. Louis architecture firm unveils plans for an MLS stadium south of Union Station in St. Louis

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Drawing of a proposed MLS soccer stadium (SPACE Architecture + Design)

Drawing of a proposed MLS soccer stadium, directly south of Union Station in St. Louis (SPACE Architecture + Design)

An architecture firm in St. Louis is floating the idea of building a soccer stadium in St. Louis to attract Major League Soccer.  The sight of the stadium would be directly south of Union Station.

Last May, MLS Commissioner Don Garber met with St. Louis officials, including Mayor Francis Slay, Governor Jay Nixon and his task force, when they were floating the idea of a soccer team sharing a North Riverfront stadium with the Rams.

Space Architecture and Design says their proposed site is about half the size of that proposed Rams stadium and would make Clark Street the greatest sports street in America with three teams playing around it.

Click here for more on the story.

The designs for a new MLS stadium would occupy a current parking lot and be built just two blocks west of Scottrade Center where the Blues play (Google Maps)

The designs for a new MLS stadium would occupy a current parking lot and be built just two blocks west of Scottrade Center where the Blues play (Google Maps)

 

Kroenke lays out details as to why it’s time for the Rams to get out of St. Louis…and its harsh (VIDEO)

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A view of the seating arrangements from inside the proposed stadium.

A view of the seating arrangements from inside the proposed stadium.

Let’s be honest, we all can admit that St. Louis is a baseball town.  The Cardinals rule the town.  There is also a long and strong hockey presence in St. Louis with a loyal following of the Blues.  That, along with the fact of what I’ve said all in that Governor Nixon’s task force’s plan for a stadium has been a joke from day one, are the same reasons Stan Kroenke gave the NFL when the Rams applied for relocation on Monday.

Kroenke sees St. Louis as a two-sport city that has no room or growth for football and offers a stadium plan that wouldn’t appeal to any NFL team, let alone his.

In the final section of that document, which was filed to the NFL on Monday, the Rams indicate stated, “No NFL club would be interested in the RSA’s New St. Louis Stadium. Any NFL Club that signs on to this proposal in St. Louis will be well on the road to financial ruin, and the League will be harmed.”

Missourinet sports director Bill Pollock breaks this down.

The task force quickly responded.  “The Rams’ assessment of their experience in St. Louis after 21 seasons of remarkable support by fans, businesses and the community is inaccurate and extremely disappointing. We will remain in contact with league officials and team owners, as appropriate, in the days ahead of the meeting in Houston. Otherwise, nothing has changed. We have a spectacular stadium proposal that delivers the certainty the NFL has asked for, and we are and will continue to be an excellent home for the St. Louis Rams.”

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Inglewood, CA takes another step closer to stealing the Rams from St. Louis with vote to O.K. stadium

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(Screen capture from LATimes.com, showing Kroenke's layout for Inglewood Stadium)

(Screen capture from LATimes.com, showing Kroenke’s layout for Inglewood Stadium)

The Los Angeles area is closer to landing an NFL team, after the city council of Inglewood, Calif., approved a proposal for an 80,000-seat NFL stadium. The development plan includes St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke.  Last Friday, the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders announced they might share a new stadium in Carson, just south of Los Angeles. Both of those teams are also negotiating for new stadiums in their host cities.

The proposals are expensive: the Inglewood proposal would cost around $2 billion, and the Carson plan would cost $1.7 billion.

The City Council of Inglewood voted to approve the $2 billion, 80,000-seat stadium plans for the stadium.  Many fans packed the meeting wearing Rams jerseys.

Dave Peacock, St. Louis NFL stadium task force co-chair, released the following statement:

As always, our focus is 100 percent committed to keeping the Rams here in their home of St. Louis and ensuring that we remain an NFL city for generations to come. We continue to make excellent progress on our NFL riverfront stadium project in St. Louis and continue to meet regularly with the NFL and the Rams. Be assured, we will have more progress to share in the weeks ahead.

Before any NFL team moves to the Los Angeles area, at least three-quarters of the league’s team owners would have to approve the deal.

MSU Professor: same-sex marriage issue puts Koster in ‘awkward’ political position

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The issue of gay marriage seems sure to feature in the 2016 race for governor in Missouri after four same-sex couples were married last week in St. Louis. Their unions set up a challenge to Missouri’s constitutional ban on gay marriage that Democratic Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Chris Koster must defend.

Missouri State University Department of Political Science head Dr. George E. Connor

Missouri State University Department of Political Science head Dr. George E. Connor

In a statement Koster says he supports “marriage equality,” but has indicated he will defend the state’s laws.

Missouri State University Political Science Department head, professor George E. Connor, says he thinks the situation could come back to hurt Koster more than help him.

“I think Mayor (Francis) Slay’s action really may come back to hurt Attorney General Koster more than help him,” says Connor. “Although we’re talking about years down the road before the general election, it is difficult for me to see a statewide movement towards legalization of gay marriage so much that it would help Attorney General Koster in a statewide bid. Right now I don’t see that.”

AUDIO:  Connor elaborates on whether the gay marriage issue hurts Koster in the 2016 gubernatorial race

Conner says there is evidence that Missouri voters are leaning more conservative now than they did when they enacted a constitutional ban on gay marriage a decade ago. He says that is the product of population shifts as much as ideological shifts.

“The decline in Missouri population is in predominately Democratic areas and the growth in Missouri population is in predominately Republican areas,” says Connor. “I think that puts a Democrat running for statewide office in a pickle, basically.”

AUDIO:  Connor is asked whether it is definitively known where current Missouri voters stand on the issue of same-sex marriage

Connor says no matter what happens in the next two years, Republicans will make an issue of how Koster argues the state’s case.

AUDIO:  Connor on what Republican campaign managers will look for in Koster’s defense of the same-sex marriage ban

The issue is also expected to attract the attention, and the funding, of interest groups from outside Missouri.

“As we have seen in other states where gay marriage has been questioned or challenged, the money begins to pour in from outside interest groups,” says Connor, “So it becomes not an issue being decided by the citizens of Missouri so much as it is decided by the money of outside interest groups and this is going to be true on both sides of the issue.”

Connor says Koster’s statement on the four marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples last week in St. Louis attempts to speak to voters on both sides of the issue, and portions of it will likely be used in campaigns both for and against him.