By Ben Nicholson
February 16 – Las Vegas’ expansion bid has received a fatal letter from MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Addressed to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman the letter said that the MLS would be unable to consider Las Vegas for an expansion franchise until 2018, due to “the uncertainty as to when we might be able to move forward in Las Vegas”.
Many in Las Vegas will feel aggrieved to be rejected after arduous campaigning to gain city and council approval for the stadium plans and the financing package.
Multiple council meetings were delayed and rescheduled, only to be delayed again, so that Findlay & Cordish could put together a viable project and consult the public.
At least as many, however, will be pleased that $100 million worth of tax-subsidies will not burden resident’s pockets. Public resistance to the public funding tainted the project throughout.
What Garber means by “uncertainty as to when we might be able to move forward in Las Vegas” is unclear, since the City Council had actually approved the stadium plans and public funding in December 2014.
Though Garber does not allude to the lack of support for the franchise, this weakness in the Vegas bid looked poor in comparison to the strongly supported Sacramento and Minneapolis bids, which are heavy favorites to gain the final expansion spot.
In response, Mayor Goodman stated: “Of course I am disappointed that the MLS did not select Las Vegas for an expansion team in the 2017 or 2018 seasons. I still believe our city would be the perfect location for a major league team, and I am saddened that we miss out on the opportunity to gain $450 million in downtown investment and job creation.
“A team coming here would have been the catalyst for other developments in the downtown. I hope the MLS will still consider Las Vegas for a team beyond 2018, and that the league’s decision will not be a negative influence on other major league franchises coming to our city.”
Goodman has not given up hope of bringing a professional sports team franchise to Las Vegas though. Rumors for an NHL team have been afloat awhile, and it will be seen soon enough whether MLS has missed a trick to break new ground in a famous frontier.
Sacramento add investor
Things are looking doubly up in Sacramento. Just as their competitors have been scrubbed from the shortlist, Sacramento FC has received backing from the owners of NFL team the San Francisco 49ers.
Though financial details were not disclosed, it appears that the owners of the team will join as minority owners, just like the NBA’s Sacramento Kings have provided.
The leading investor of Republic FC, Kevin Neagle, said: “We want to make it easy for MLS to make a decision. We built an extraordinary ownership group. It’s going to make a very strong, compelling case.”
Beckham left scratching his beard
The fraught progress in Miami towards finding a stadium for the new David Beckham-led franchise seemed to have take a small step forward with rumours that the deal to move to a University stadium for two seasons was close to being finalised.
This would give Beckham’s group time to develop a permanent stadium. Beckham, who has said he is ‘”frustrated” with the progress would doubtless have been more confused since the Miami Mayor has recently suggested he move into a different stadium west of downtown and develop it.
There have been suggestions that Minneapolis and Sacramento will both get an expansion spot, leaving Becks without. This seems unlikely as it would mean breaking a contract and delivering a rejection to the man who was the catalyst in boosting the profile of the MLS domestically and internationally.
Orlando debates stadium venue
On the more stable grounds of a team that already has been granted its expansion bid, the Orlando City Lions have edged closer to securing $2 million in state taxpayer funds to build their new stadium.
There are four renovation projects, including the Daytona racing track, in Florida competing for a $7 million pool (which is roughly the annual salary of what Orlando’s star player Kaká will be earning per annum.)
A ranking system was developed to ascertain which project would be most deserving. Economists evaluated what the increase in average annual ticket sales would be and what the increase in incremental state sales taxes at the stadium would be.
The yet to be built soccer stadium is uniquely positioned at Daytona since there is no base line to work from. This seemingly worked in its favor, for it landed at the top of the list.
The money has not yet been secured since other projects refuse to throw in the towel, and disagreements remain about how the tax money should disburse to stadium renovation projects, which are scheduled to begin soon or are already underway.
The new stadium is set to begin construction in May, and the team will play their inaugural season in the Citrus Bowl, an American football stadium, in 2016.
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