Futbol Club Cincinnati has identified three potential sites for a new soccer-specific stadium as part of its bid to win MLS expansion rights, according to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Club president Jeff Berding also told the Enquirer that the club is hoping to secure $250 million in private investment to make MLS expansion and stadium construction a reality while avoiding a new local tax increase. Cincinnati was one of 12 cities to submit an expansion bid in the hopes of becoming one of MLS's next four clubs. The league announced in December that the first pair would be announced sometime this year, with an on-field target of 2020.

One location for the proposed $200-million stadium would involve the transformation of a current high school football stadium -- and some adjacent land -- in the city’s West End. Another site in the city’s Newport neighborhood would offer a clear view of the downtown skyline.

The USL club has already surpassed 400,000 in all-time attendance at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium since beginning play there in 2016 and continue to set attendance records. During the offseason, the club put $2 million into the facility to widen the pitch and make other upgrades to bring it to FIFA and MLS standards.