“There’s no such thing as forever,” Roddy said.

And he said he liked this deal, as currently proposed. An as-of-yet-unreleased city analysis gave the project a high score, he said, with new tax revenue largely coming from city visitors, not residents.

“This isn’t something the Taylors are doing as a strategic investment to get rich,” Roddy said on Friday. “This is a quasi-philanthropic activity.”

Still, he said, the resolution up for discussion this week is little more than a letter of intent. Binding ordinances will come later, if the MLS grants St. Louis a team. And the worth of the deal won’t be clear until those details come out.

Roddy said he had set a second hearing for Dec. 5 in case the aldermen needed more time for debate. The ownership group has asked the city to pass the resolution by Dec. 7.

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