Downtown Austin Site No Longer Considered For Soccer Stadium

AUSTIN, TX — Precourt Sports Ventures is no longer considering Butler Shores Metropolitan Park in downtown Austin as a potential site for the Columbus Crew SC professional soccer franchise, officials said.

PSVE President Dave Greeley cited "valid concerns" from the community and neighbors surrounding the site about a stadium there. "Based on this feedback, we are no longer exploring this location and are continuing our due diligence on other possible locations in the urban core," he said in a prepared statement issued Friday afternoon.

“Based on this feedback, we are no longer exploring this location and are continuing our due diligence on other possible locations in the urban core,” Greeley said in a prepared statement. “As we have stated from the onset of this process, finding the right site for a soccer park is of the utmost importance as we contemplate bringing Major League Soccer (MLS) to Austin. We look forward to further community dialogue and collaboration, and we remain committed to finding the best possible stadium site for all involved."

Precourt Sports Ventures has been contemplating moving the soccer club from the Ohio capital city to Austin, even as fans and business leaders work to prevent the transfer from taking place. Alex Fischer, CEO of the Columbus Partnership, told Columbus Business First that team owner Anthony Precourt has talked with Columbus civic leaders and others about maintaining the soccer team in Ohio.

Austin City Council leaders are debating the idea of using publicly owned parkland for stadium use.

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