Crew SC investor-operator Anthony Precourt said three weeks ago, the day after announcing that Crew SC would consider relocating to Austin after the 2018 season, that Precourt Sports Ventures was just getting started in its exploration of Austin.

Austin City Council, too, is just getting started with the process of identifying potential soccer stadium locations.

Several city council members expressed their support at a Tuesday work session for the potential community benefit of a Major League Soccer team. They also offered suggestions and requested a few clarifications with respect to a resolution drafted last month by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo. The resolution, which will be voted on at Thursday’s council meeting, would instruct the city manager to identify city-owned sites in the “urban core,” including underutilized parkland, that might work for a potential soccer stadium.

Tovo said Tuesday she intends for the resolution to be “the beginning of a conversation” and something that would allow for Austin City Council to be involved early in a potential relocation process.

“We’ve been in the circumstance at times of having things on our council agenda for final approval that would create a use on a piece of public land, and I don’t think that’s the best situation,” Tovo said. “My interest here is really making sure that we’re having those conversations early so that we can provide to some direction to those who might be interested in relocating a team.”

Council Member Leslie Pool said a specific focus on city-owned land might leave out desirable stadium locations in other parts of town that are not city-owned.

Tovo clarified that the reason the resolution focuses on city-owned land is because that is the only land city council can instruct the city manager to look into. She said she has been contacted by private landowners regarding soccer stadium sites.

“I am sort of funneling those (private landowners) to the soccer people because I don’t want to be in the determination of sites for a soccer stadium, but it does sound as if there are some private sites, or holders of private sites that would like to be in the mix as well, but it didn’t feel appropriate necessarily to embed that within our resolution,” Tovo said.

Council Member Alison Alter said she is undecided as to how she will vote on Thursday, adding, “I’m going to have a really high bar for using parkland.” She wants the city manager’s examination of potential stadium sites to include alternative uses for a professional soccer stadium and expressed concern with the use of parkland not involving a community vote, which would be the case in the event of a ground lease.

“We have to be cognizant going down this road this is one of the options that may come back and we’ll have to decide whether we’re comfortable with that approach or not,” Alter said. “It is not a given that we have to have a (city-wide) vote if it’s on parkland and that does concern me.”

The term “urban core” is defined in Austin’s land development code and includes a wide swath of land outside Downtown. Council Member Ann Kitchen said she would propose an amendment to broaden the city manager’s geographic review for potential stadium sites. She said she has been approached by others who have Austin in mind but aren’t just interested in downtown.

“This (urban core) is a broad area, but this is not our entire area,” Kitchen said. “I just think that while we’re doing such a review, we ought to consider whether there are other locations.”

Council Member Ora Houston said the council’s process with respect to examining soccer stadium locations should be one to gain an “understanding of community values.”

“This is just to have the conversation about possible options,” she said.

She then hinted at a few soccer-specific conversations she has had.

“Evidently Austin is becoming No. 1 for Major League Soccer teams wanting to come to town because I have at least four folks that I’m talking to about Major League Soccer,” she said.

Mayor Steve Adler, a co-sponsor of the resolution along with Tovo, Houston, Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria and Council Member Delia Garza, said the possibility of a Major League Soccer team coming to Austin is a “pretty exciting thing” for the community.

“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,” he said.

aerickson@dispatch.com

@AEricksonCD