With the #MLS4THELOU in full swing, The Taylor family and Jim Kavanaugh announced today their attempt to land an MLS franchise in the city of Saint Louis. The announcement was made on the heels of a previously failed attempt at landing an MLS franchise earlier in 2017.
The proposed MLS franchise would be located in downtown St. Louis, west of Union Station along Market Street, for which nearly 100% is privately financed. The only tax will be on the sale of game-day tickets to those who attend games.
The proposed facility would seat approximately 20,000 and cost around $250 million, and be owned by the city's Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority. According to the group's website, the group is asking for state tax credits to the tune of $15 million from 2018 to 2019 to help prepare the MoDOT site for development.
The design for the new stadium is not complete as of this article.
The MLS said it wants to grow the league to 28 teams, meaning two slots are left following the pending additions of Cincinnati, Nashville, and Miami. Including St. Louis, there four other cities vying for the chance to land an MLS franchise Detroit, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Deigo. With two slots remaining, STL needs to win a proposal to land the winning bid.
This could be a massive coup for the Taylor's and the city of St. Louis after losing the NFL's Rams and the failure of the first MLS attempt. The possibility of St. Louis landing an MLS franchise with nearly 100% privately funded resources says volumes for the area with the stigma's placed upon the city by the NFL that STL isn't fit to be a central sports town.
This will show beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only can St. Louis maintain 3+ major franchises but thrive in the face of it. I am personally excited to see what lies ahead for St. Louis in the next few weeks to months.
Stay tuned for more details concerning the MLS to STL.
Thanks for reading
Derek King Sports
