FC Cincinnati wants 'winning partnership' for stadium in West End

Update: Two Cincinnati City Council members unveiled a plan Friday that could clear the way – at least at City Hall – for a Major League Soccer stadium in the West End.

Councilmen P.G. Sittenfeld's and David Mann's plan would cost taxpayers almost $34 million – fewer tax dollars than if the stadium were built in Oakley. It also means five council members are on board.

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Original story: After more than a week of silence on stadium developments, FC Cincinnati said Thursday it is focusing its efforts in the West End.

"We have worked for nearly three months in the West End, engaging neighborhood stakeholders, CPS, elected officials and others in a variety of public meetings and private discussions," FC Cincinnati General Manager Jeff Berding said in a statement Thursday night.

"While we have yet to achieve necessary political support to advance plans for a privately financed stadium in the West End, we continue to engage elected leaders in Cincinnati to build a winning partnership here in the City."

It's the first public comment on the situation since before a March 31 deadline to select a site for a soccer-specific stadium if FC Cincinnati wins an MLS expansion team.

The statement doesn't say the West End is a done deal. However, it does acknowledge major impediments to the other two locations – Oakley and Newport – and bring back to the forefront a location that the club walked away from in mid-March.

When Cincinnati Public Schools' board held its ground over how much tax money the schools should receive from a stadium development, Berding said the team had "moved its focus to Oakley and Newport."

On Thursday, Berding said Oakley is "not as close to the urban core as desired."

In Newport, he said the roadblock is the owner of the property: "We have not been able to reach agreement on site development and financing plans with Corporex."

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CPS isn't the only holdup that remains for the West End site. The West End Community Council voted overwhelmingly against building a stadium in the neighborhood. Also, aspects of the deal will have to clear City Council.

The team has been working on developing a stadium plan since last summer. MLS has said it wants its expansion teams to plan in soccer-specific stadiums.

MLS initially said it would announce its picks for two expansion teams last year, but only chose one: Nashville. Cincinnati remains in the running for the other spot against Sacremento and Detroit.

FC Cincinnati's home opener is Saturday at Nippert Stadium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.

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