POSTED 1:35 p.m.— As a Major League Soccer team continues to mull a move to Austin, city staff on Tuesday released eight recommended sites for a potential soccer stadium and practice field.
In September, news broke that Anthony Precourt, owner of the Columbus Crew, was considering moving the team down to Austin. On Tuesday, city staff released eight properties they recommended as prime sites for either a new state-of-the-art professional soccer stadium or practice field.
The city proposed three parkland sites for the new stadium: Butler Shores at Town Lake Metro Park, Guerrero Metro Park and the Travis County Expo Center. Guerrero Metro Park, the Travis County Exposition Center and Bolm District Park were also offered as sites for a practice field.
City staff also offered two non-parkland sites for a stadium: a lot at 10414 McKalla Place and the former Home Depot tract at the corner of I-35 and East St. Johns Avenue. The Austin ISD-owned Burger Activity Center is listed as a possible practice field.
Only three of the properties—Butler Shores Metro Park, Guerrero Metro Park and the former Home Depot tract—are within the urban core, criteria Precourt set early on for him to consider moving the Columbus Crew to Austin.
During Tuesday’s work session, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo said she would prefer to see more urban core properties that were not parkland. District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen, citing strong pushback from community members, said she would not support Butler Shores as a location.
Although a report from staff on the recommendations is scheduled for publication tomorrow, council and staff agreed that more time and information was needed before taking any further action on the stadium issue. Council expects to take up the item early in 2018.
Below is a map of the recommended sites.
Orange icons: public parkland recommended as a stadium site
Red icons: public parkland recommended as practice field sites
Green icons: Public non-parkland recommended as a stadium site
Blue icon: AISD property recommended as a practice field site
