April 5 – The opportunity of football to bring a transformational change to cities and their sporting cultures is nowhere more evident currently that in the US.
The latest city to embrace the opportunity that the game can bring is Roswell, a close suburb of Altanta, Georgia, which has entered an agreement with the United Soccer League (USL) to explore the possibility of developing a historic women’s soccer stadium-anchored entertainment district.
Roswell would be awarded the franchise for a USL Super League professional women’s team and a USL Championship professional men’s team.
Last week Roswell City Council unanimously approved a Letter of Intent (LOI) between the City of Roswell and the USL that stipulates an exclusive nine-month negotiating period with the option to extend negotiations, if needed.
“The City of Roswell is excited to enter into exclusive negotiations with the USL to potentially bring women’s and men’s professional soccer to Roswell,” said Mayor Kurt Wilson.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for our city. Although we are just at the beginning of the process and many details will have to be worked through, we are looking forward to exploring possibilities with the USL. Being home to a new entertainment district, a multi-purpose stadium, and two professional soccer teams would be a huge economic driver and point of pride for the City of Roswell.”
The franchise award is very much a partnership between the league and the city with negotiation centring around the USL being both the ‘anchor tenant’ of the stadium and having the right of first refusal to serve as the stadium operator/manager.
A site for the entertainment district and multi-use stadium has not been selected and finding a location for the 10,000 seated stadium will be part of the negotiation process.
“We are elated to partner with the City of Roswell and explore this exciting opportunity,” USL Deputy CEO and Chief Real Estate Officer Justin Papadakis said. “Having grown up there, right in Horseshoe Bend, I can unequivocally attest that The City of Roswell has all the ingredients to become home to the preeminent USL Club, multi-purpose stadium, and entertainment district – all driven by its world-class professional women’s team.”
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