The Greater Austin and Austin LGBT chambers of commerce have urged Austin city council to act quickly to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to the city,
but residents have voiced concerns about building a stadium on the city's public parkland.
Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt released a statement Thursday to say he's mindful of those public concerns, and he's set his sights on one city-owned non-parkland property in his ongoing attempt to relocate the MLS franchise to Austin.
"We’re impressed with the potential at McKalla Place and believe we could create a privately funded, world-class soccer stadium there," Precourt said in the statement.
City-owned McKalla Place is located in the North Burnet area, just south of The Domain and north of US 183 near Braker Lane.
“McKalla Place is getting an extra focus because it’s really looking like a good site. It is in The Domain area, it’s close to rail, it’s got good roads next to it,” Precourt Sports Ventures attorney Richard Suttle told Fox 7.
Statement from the organization:
“We continue to believe Major League Soccer can integrate into the heart and soul of the Austin community. We’ve heard the concerns about a possible site for a stadium. Soccer is inclusive and celebratory, so we want to shift the focus onto the long-term benefits of a location that works for everybody. We’re impressed with the potential at McKalla Place and believe we could create a privately funded, world-class soccer stadium there. We’re looking forward to working together with the city as we continue to assess the viability of this site. One of the most exciting things we’ll do is to share with the community a detailed list of benefits Major League Soccer could bring to Austin, especially to young people. I just read an article in the
Austin American-Statesman that illuminated challenges kids who live in East Austin face when trying to find good access to soccer. We want to help with that and a number of other important issues in this wonderful city.”
— Anthony Precourt, CEO, Precourt Sports Ventures
