During an open work session Tuesday, the Austin City Council discussed the definitions of "urban core" and "underutilized parkland."

Settling on the definitions of those terms could unlock the code to the city landing its first major professional sports franchise.

On Thursday, the council will discuss a resolution that would direct staff to begin analyzing city-owned land, including "underutilized parkland," for a potential Major League Soccer stadium and practice facility.

The proposed resolution is a response to the Oct. 17 announcement that Precourt Sports Ventures is considering a move of Columbus Crew SC, the MLS franchise that the Anthony Precourt-led group has owned since 2013.

The ownership group has said it would like to build a 20,000- to 25,000-seat stadium in the Texas capital, along with a training facility, if it cannot secure a downtown stadium in the Ohio capital. In public statements, Precourt has identified Austin’s "urban core" as his desired stadium location.

Ann Kitchen, the council member representing District 5, pressed the definitions of "urban core" and "underutilized parkland" as they relate to the possible relocation of Crew SC.

"I’m not going to be able to support the item that has been much discussed very close to Zilker Park," she said, referring to land that sits in her district, which covers portions of Central and South Austin.

As defined by the Austin land development code, the urban core stretches well beyond downtown. A map was provided showing an area that is bounded by Texas 71 to the South and U.S. 183 to the east and north. The western border is defined by MoPac, Loop 360 and Mesa Drive.

Concerns were raised by council members Kitchen and Ora Houston (District 1) about limiting the search to only that region.

"People are trying to help get (PSV) the best places that are not downtown, and if that’s not what they’re interested in then they might need to go someplace else," Houston said.

Kitchen said she had been "approached also by others about Major League Soccer that do not consider themselves limited to the downtown area."

Neither Houston, who said she had talked to "at least four folks" about MLS, nor Kitchen identified the people who approached them. Kitchen proposed an amendment that would broaden the geographic area up for review.

The council also launched an attempt to define "underutilized parkland" in relation to potential stadium and training facility sites. Kimberly McNeeley, the assistant director of the city’s parks and recreations department, said no such legal definition currently exists.

She referred to non-specific parcels of land that had been purchased but not yet developed and locations that have been "land-banked" for development, as well as existing parks that are used only during certain times of the year or for a particular type of activity.

McNeeley said the parks department would work with the council to create a more solid definition ahead of a potential vote once locations are identified.

Council member Jimmy Flannigan (District 6) proposed an amendment to the resolution changing the phrasing of "residential neighborhoods" to "communities" so as to include businesses, churches and schools among those who would be affected by an adjacent stadium.

Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo (District 9), who proposed the resolution, and Mayor Steve Adler offered the most positive remarks regarding a potential MLS franchise. Tovo said she had received "dozens and dozens and dozens" of messages from Ohioans against the relocation of Crew SC, but that the decision to take the team out of Columbus would not be one made by the Austin City Council.

"I sure do think bringing in a Major League Soccer team would be a pretty exciting thing for the community, and I think it would have pretty widespread support so I’d love for us to figure out if there’s a way to make this happen," Adler said.