The proposal for a new Des Moines USL stadium and surrounding development has moved forward, as city officials approved a crucial agreement Monday.

In September, it was announced that an effort is underway to launch a Des Moines USL Championship club backed by an ownership group led by Krause Group Chairman and CEO and Des Moines Menace (USL League Two) owner Kyle Krause. The hope is for the club to begin play in 2022, contingent upon plans for a new stadium moving forward.

The proposal for that facility calls for it to be built on roughly 13 acres south of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, while anchoring surrounding mixed-use development. On Monday, the Des Moines City Council helped push that proposal forward by approving a development agreement that allows for a sale of the site. This decision does not amount to a commitment to help fund construction costs for the stadium, a point emphasized by a city official, but it nonetheless allows planning for the project to proceed. More from KCCI.com:

Des Moines Deputy City Manager Matt Anderson said the city is most excited about features surrounding the proposed stadium.

Anderson said that, so far, no city funding is committed to the project.

“You look at our budget (and) there’s no line item that says professional soccer stadium, right?” Anderson said. “There’s no funding committed right now for the stadium. I don’t know if there will be an ask of the city. We have open minds and open ears if there’s assistance needed.”

Anderson said the franchise application is due in the early spring. The United Soccer League would then decide whether to award a team.

The site targeted for the project is located on the southern edge of downtown Des Moines.

Rendering courtesy INVISION Architecture.

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