St. Louis Stadium Fate Going To Voters

The fate of a proposed $200 million soccer stadium in downtown St. Louis to attract a Major League Soccer team will be put to city voters April 4.

– MLS Stadium St. Louis
An artist rendering shows the proposed $200 million stadium in St. Louis that interested parties hope will to attract a Major League Soccer team. The project has been under discussion regarding financing since November.

The ballot measure would approve $60 million in funding for a 22,000-capacity stadium built near the city’s Union Station.

Investor group SC STL last year announced plans for the stadium. “Today marks another important milestone for the effort to bring Major League Soccer to St. Louis,” SCT STL vice chairman Jim Kavanaugh said in a statement.

SC STL recently put in a bid for an MLS expansion team. This fall, the league is expected to name two expansion teams for the 2020 season.

The stadium project calls for SC STL to be responsible for at least $95 million of the cost, the full $150 million expansion fee and all maintenance costs after the stadium is built.

The stadium proposal had seemed doomed twice following Gov. Eric Greitens saying he wouldn’t support state tax dollars for the project and a local Ways And Means Committee initially declining to ask the full board to put the issue on the April ballot.

St. Louis Aldermen appear split on whether voters would support the ballot measure.