St. Louis Soccer Plans

SC STL unveiled a stadium plan Nov. 17 that includes a $80 million public investment that would need to be approved by voters. Foundry St. Louis, another group pushing the idea of a MLS franchise, reached out to SC STL in a Nov. 23 letter offering to join forces on the deal and eliminating the need for public financing. The SC STL open-air stadium would have 20,000 seats with the ability to expand to 28,500.

It would sit on land currently owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The city has an option to buy the site, but the value is still being appraised. Foundry St. Louis CEO Dan Cordes, in a letter to Dave Peacock of SC STL, wrote that “MLS in St. Louis cannot and should not serve as an anchor dragging on city finances and services. Rather, it should employ minority-owned consultants, vendors and contractors, create salaried and high-wage jobs, spur population growth and advance the conversation about racial equality and economic inclusion.”

Without identifying investors in Foundry St. Louis, a spokeswoman said the group has investors with a combined net worth of $2.5 billion. MLS last year announced an expansion team in Minnesota, and plans another in Miami, Fla. Plans reportedly call for four additional teams, with eight markets that have expressed interest.