Mary Page lay tucked into a hospital bed along the wall of her one-room West End apartment, proud that at age 99 she still lives on her own, albeit with care from two of her nieces.

She's lived there so long she can't remember exactly when she moved in. But she does know she wants to stay. But can't.

"Soccer is putting us out," Page said, "I don't want to move. I like it here. People come visit me."

The "soccer" she is referring to is FC Cincinnati, the city's newly crowned Major League Soccer team.

FC Cincinnati bought the Wade Street building Page lives in, which borders the site of the stadium the team is building in the West End. And the tenants must move.

The building's old owner is helping the tenants find new homes. And former Mayor Mark Mallory, who is FC Cincinnati's director of community development, said Monday that residents have been given options for housing in the West End by their current landlord.

"We are pulling together a professional working group to find a better location for Ms. Page," he said. "There is no rush to move her anytime soon."

He added a meeting will take place Friday "to discuss the special circumstances of Ms. Page."

Those invited to the meeting include a representative from Page's family, the Council on Aging and the president of the West End Community Council.

"Ms. Page may stay in her apartment until suitable housing is found that will accommodate her special circumstances," Mallory said.

'It's not right for him to take our homes'

Outside Page's door on Tuesday afternoon more than two dozen people gathered to protest the displacement of people who live at 421 Wade Street and 1559 Central Avenue.

They held signs with pictures of FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding, the words mocking his promises: "It's called progress" and "No one will be displaced" and "Gentrify the West End."

Three little girls, Kalei Rogers, 5, I'zj Rogers, 7, and Jme Rogers, 9, who live in the Central Avenue building, held a sign as large as they were that read: "Don't steal our home!"

"It's not right for him to take our homes and kick us out," Jme said. When asked what she would tell Berding, her answer: "I would say, 'You should go.'"

The people standing outside Page's building formed FightBack Cincinnati: Wade and Central Tenants United, called together by the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition.

Their message to FC Cincinnati: "Cease threatening to displace us from our homes..." and do not "now or at any point force us from our homes."

FC Cincinnati was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise this year and Cincinnati City Council approved the team's decision to build a $250 million in the West End.

Berding pledged no residents would be displaced for the stadium site itself. And he financially helped three people who had to move, including Monica Williams, whose restaurant Just Cookin' operated in a rented 15th Street space that has since been torn down.

The team did buy these two properties after the owner got several offers to sell from other people.

The owner, Fred Berger, says it was time to sell and they sat so close to the stadium site it would have been impossible to live there. Residents gathered disagreed.

Getting Cincinnati City Council's attention

Earlier Tuesday about a half dozen community activists and West End residents turned up at Cincinnati City Council's Equity, Inclusion, Youth, & the Arts Committee, chaired by Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard.

Dennard characterized Page's dilemma and the plight of an unknown number of other West End residents being pushed out because of the stadium as a case of broken promises.

"After we heard all the no-displacement promises (from FCC)...lo and behold, we know that's not true,'' Dennard said.

No immediate council action was planned.

Kim Dillard, Page's neice, spoke at the meeting.

She said even if Dillard can find a suitable apartment for Page before the end of the month, when she is supposed to leave, her aunt's life will never be the same.

"She was in her domain, watching her TV, talking on the phone to her friends and having her people come and visit her,'' Dillard said. "Now that's all shook up. Who at 99 years old ever expects to be uprooted.''