FC Cincinnati, one of 12 current MLS expansion candidates, now appear to have the necessary city council votes needed to construct a stadium in the city's West End neighborhood, according the Cincinnati Enquirer and local ABC affiliate WCPO.
The USL club, which is competing with groups from Sacramento and Detroit for the rights to join Nashville as an MLS franchise in this current round of growth, has likely secured the needed stadium site votes based on a financing deal struck between the team and city council members P.G. Sittenfeld and David Mann.
The deal remains subject to approval of the Cincinnati Public Schools board, since FC Cincinnati is hoping to build on the current site of a local high school stadium.
As part of the deal, FC Cincinnati has promised to build a new high school stadium across the street from the current facility, which would be developed into the location of the club's new soccer stadium.
According to WCPO, the financing deal includes a promise by the club to:
- Pay $25 million in local school property taxes
- Spend $32 million with minority-owned businesses
- Spend $22 million with woman-owned businesses
- Secure a private developer to construct a $15-million affordable housing project in the neighborhood
- Spend $100,000 annually on West End community organizations
