Stadium plans announced for potential STL MLS expansion team

The article states that the stadium would seat 20,000 but could be expanded to hold 28,500. 28,500, dare I say it, perfect for a CFL team!

[url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/11/17/st-louis-ownership-group-announces-sweeping-plans-mls-expansion-bid]http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/11/1 ... ansion-bid[/url]

As long as St. Louis would agree with following the Import rule, and have a guarantee number of season ticket holders, I am up for it. I know people will go on about previous US/CFL expansion. I attended the very first regular season CFL game played in Baltimore, and I saw the positive possibilities of the CFL in the states. 20 years later more Americans are familiar with our game and have a more positive view of our league than some Canadians. But any possible US expansion must agree to follow all the CFL rules and have a minimum number of season ticket holders committed for 3 years. Also St. Louis would be as far south as I would expand. I would also look at cities like Portland Ore., Fargo ND, Syracuse NY and Hartford, Conn.

The stadium would have to be built with compltely retractable stands behind each soccer goal - in order to fit a CFL field - which is about 40 yards longer that your typical soccer pitch.

That’s a good point. When I’m watching the Grey Cup Sunday, I’ll be looking closely at BMO Field to see how they do it.

I agree, they would have to play by the same rules. I think it could work in 2-3 carefully chosen cities, ones that aren’t under the shadow of an NFL or NCAA team. The ones you mention sound good. Portland would make a geographic rival for BC, perhaps?

More information has been announced on a public vote.

[url=http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2016/12/08/april-vote-to-decide-city-state-contributions-to.html]http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news ... ns-to.html[/url]

Can't help but wonder if in a city that is over 40 percent African-American, will this voting block be compelled to vote in favor of public funding for a stadium whose primary tenant is a sport that is overwhelmingly played by whites and whose audience is largely white. Would it be wiser to bring in a second tenant in a sport that has a more diverse audience and players like......football? Time will tell.

When is the public vote? The article is behind a paywall.

Also, if this vote fails, I understand there is a rival group - Foundry St. Louis and their stadium plan doesn't require public dollars.

Though MLS likes the group behind the 200 mil plan, if it falls would Foundry be considered?

They want the vote to be next April. MLS says that they are only working with SC STL. Foundry is on the outside looking in.

OK. So I take it an actual date in April is still TBC.

So if the public votes no, I guess St. Louis will be on the outside looking into too as there are more and more interested cities and ownership groups wanting to join MLS.

Right now an April vote is a desire of the SC STL group. As I understand it, Foundry has offered to pay the $80M public portion, but offered no details. MLS said they were only dealing with SC STL. I’m not sure what a no vote means for STL, presumably not good. However, MLS stadiums have been built recently for $100M (San Jose Earthquakes).

Seems now, at the price of MLS franchises, no more than the 3 is going to happen in Canada I would say. Interesting perspective, as usually, from FoS.:

Rich dudes demand $129m in tax money for St. Louis MLS stadium, because teams are expensive, yo

[url=http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2016/12/09/11903/rich-dudes-demand-129m-in-tax-money-for-st-louis-mls-stadium-because-teams-are-expensive-yo/]http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2016/12/0 ... ensive-yo/[/url]
That’s right: The official explanation of why a bunch of rich guys — Bain Capital you may remember as the private equity firm that made Mitt Romney wealthy at the expense of a whole lot of other people — need $129 million in public money to build a $205 million stadium is “Well, we’re already spending $200 million to buy a team! You want us to do that and build a stadium too? What are we, made of mon — er, let me rephrase that…?
That's it for Canada I would say, MLS is pricing themselves out of this market but I guess that's what they want? Teams are expensive in MLS now which is what they wanted but in the long run is it really what they should want to say be able to expand more into a market like Canada? Mind you if the MLS has to rely on Canada to make them feel "major", they are in deep trouble in the long run to really feel they are "major".

To me the solution seems so obvious. Bring in a second tenant to spread the cost and skip the public trough.

More details emerge. If the sales tax increase for MetroLink light rail passes, it would automatically trigger an increase in an obscure use tax. The increased money from the use tax would be used for the stadium. Hmmm....

[url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/mayor-pushes-tax-proposals-for-metrolink-expansion-neighborhood-development-and/article_84502393-6006-540f-b4ab-d19bd4f8d2d6.htm]http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt ... f8d2d6.htm[/url]

And the shoe falls.................

[url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/greitens-i-have-completely-ruled-out-state-funding-for-stadiums/article_f8a545d1-be13-5239-a034-4fa4c39b1462.html]http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metr ... b1462.html[/url]

And then the other shoe falls.

[url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-soccer-stadium-funding-bill-is-dead/article_c11e7ffa-7fc6-59bf-aa51-85f63f85bc33.html]http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metr ... 5bc33.html[/url]

It's not dead yet.....Other news sources keep referring to it as a multiple purpose stadium but do not allude to what the other purposes might be. There are plenty of concert venues here.

[url=http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/01/18/downtown-soccer-stadium-backers-come-up-with-last-minute-plan/]http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/01/18/ ... nute-plan/[/url]

Now the tough sell to the public begins. I think it would be easier to sell if they brought in a second team in another sport that we don't have......like football :smiley:

[url=http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/02/03/board-of-aldermen-passes-soccer-stadium-funding-bill/]http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/02/03/ ... ding-bill/[/url]

Earlier in the week the group trying to get the expansion team submitted its application.

[url=http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/01/31/sc-stl-submits-application-for-mls-expansion-team/]http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/01/31/ ... sion-team/[/url]

St Louis is a dump. Why would anyone want to start a team in that city? If the rams left why would anyone else want in?
I am an American that loves the CFL. I think the league should remain in Canada. Waste of money in the USA. would be better off having a 2nd team in Toronto than in St Louis

chinese, there is a 2nd team in Toronto, the TiCats which are in what is known as the Greater Toronto Area in many respects. :wink:

Good question, Chinese. First the Rams left for L.A because it, among other things, more than doubled the value of their franchise. However, that would be true of most teams if they moved to the nation’s second largest market. When the Rams moved here they sold out every game for the first 12 seasons. Of the 21 seasons they were here only four were winning seasons. Even in the final four seasons, when they already had one foot out the door, they still managed to average 57,000 plus to watch a terrible team. When the performance on the field suffers for long periods of time, attendance lags. That’s true virtually everywhere. St. Louis is a good football town.

As far as St. Louis being a dump goes, that is certainly true of parts of the city. However, that is true of almost every large city in a America (and most NFL cities). The part that is a dump, comprises less than 15% of the St. Louis region. If someone wants to judge the whole by a small slice, so be it. However, I don’t think it’s representative of the entire area. As far as the city itself goes, there are many nice areas like the CWE, Carondolet, the Hill, Dogtown, St. Louis Hills, Benton Park, and Lafayette Square. There is a nice little resurgence going in many areas. Time will tell, if it takes hold and expands into those areas that you only see as St. Louis.

If the CFL was ever serious about expansion down south, St. Louis would be a great market. The NFL can’t lay claim to it and there isn’t a strong NCAA football presence here. Like the rest of the USA, football is popular here. To say it wouldn’t make sense, to me is like asking “Why would anybody open a pizzeria in an Italian neighborhood?”