Jeff Berding: Building FC Cincinnati's MLS franchise 'a monumental challenge'

Show Caption Hide Caption What we do, don't know about FC Cincinnati's West End stadium FC Cincinnati officials have shared details about the $200-$250 million venue that will be built in the West End. But there also are unknowns.

There was great fanfare for Major League Soccer's decision to add Cincinnati to the league. But for Jeff Berding, the May 29 MLS announcement was not the finish line.

The Futbol Club Cincinnati president and general manager still has to build a team. And a stadium. And a training facility. And hire as many as 30 new employees to help make it all come together.

Berding had to restructure and revamp his front office staff. The stadium site has city approval, but it's still in the design process – with an eye on making it bigger than the 21,000 seats originally planned. He has to think about what Nippert Stadium will look like next year when major league play begins.

More: Maximum capacity versus ticket scarcity: The debate to determine FC Cincinnati's West End stadium capacity

More Timeline on FC Cincinnati's path to the West End

He even has to sweat details such as how many parking spaces the stadium needs. It has been, as Berding told The Enquirer in an exclusive interview, a "monumental challenge."

"You set this goal and you start swimming for it and all of the sudden you find yourself in the middle of the ocean," Berding said. "You can either keep swimming or drown, so you better just keep swimming. That's how it's been since May 29, and to be fair, probably before that.

"We've been a very successful USL team but that's not the standard. We want to be a very successful MLS team."

During a 90-minute conversation, Berding provided updates on what he's been up to since FC Cincinnati was confirmed for MLS.

Stadium: Are 21,000 seats enough?

The public decision on building the MLS stadium is done, but that doesn't mean Berding knows exactly what the stadium will look like.

It's slated to have 21,000 seats and he said it will cost the team $200 to $250 million to build. But he thinks now the stadium might need more seating capacity.

The club is averaging more than 25,000 tickets sold per game at Nippert. And while more expensive MLS tickets might mean drawing fewer fans, projections show the team could draw well above the 21,000 seats.

Local governments are spending $33.9 million for infrastructure around the stadium, plus spending on a new 1,000 space county-financed garage, according to an Enquirer analysis. The team is paying for the stadium, so a larger venue means more cost to the team.

Fan experience is the top priority, Berding said, listing restrooms, technology, video boards and other amenities that are being factored into the design. He's toured other MLS stadiums with the construction team to glean ideas for the West End site.

"We're doing evaluations of different schematic designs and costing them out," Berding said.

"It's our goal to give ourselves flexibility" on capacity, he said.

A new map of land the team controls which Berding shared with The Enquirer shows the site goes as far north as the Cincinnati Ballet, for which FC Cincinnati will be the landlord. The stadium footprint is largely on the site of the existing Stargel Stadium, east of Central Avenue, as has been reported.

It was thought the stadium's main entrance would be on John Street, but Berding says now it will likely be on Central Parkway, although he expects there will be several gates, which is standard for all stadiums.

FC Cincinnati stadium architect Dan Meis discusses West End site World-renowned stadium architect Dan Meis, who will design the Futbol Club Cincinnati Major League Soccer stadium, discusses the club's West End site at a June 29 press conference staged on the 41st floor of Great American Tower.

Parking remains a question

None of the parking decisions are finalized, but Berding said early plans for the 1,000-space county-financed garage have it on West Liberty Street, where a warehouse now sits.

It's expected parking revenue will go to Hamilton County, except on event days when FC Cincinnati will pocket the revenue.

The stadium will gobble up some District One police parking, but Berding said that will be replaced with parking at the stadium site.

As for the future of the CET garage (south of the stadium site and near Music Hall), Berding said those decisions are up to the city and, as far as he knows, no decisions have been made.

Future plans for USL here?

A topic for many FC Cincinnati fans is the future of the club's USL franchise.

Berding said no decision has been made about keeping the FCC USL team.

"While the focus next year will likely need to be on the MLS team, the USL provides a valuable player development opportunity," Berding said.

His goal is to make sure younger players have the opportunity for development.

"You can do it in different formats," Berding said.

U.S. Soccer next year will own and operate a third-division league, which could be an option too. Berding would not comment on the third-division.

Building a team in the back office

Berding is in the midst of transforming FC Cincinnati from a $10 million enterprise to a $450 million enterprise. The shift has been difficult at times, because what worked for a smaller club wasn't necessarily what is needed to be a winning MLS team.

Berding brought in a consultant – work that is ongoing – to assess everyone, including himself.

Since that began, three people have left. Berding declined to name who those employees were. But The Enquirer has learned D.J. Switzer, who headed FC Cincinnati's social media, and Sarah Huber, who was the chief financial officer of the club, are no longer with the team.

Don't forget this is the same general manager who fired head coach John Harkes on the eve of preseason camp in February 2017, despite a strong inaugural season.

"We want to win for the city, which requires excellence across the organization," Berding said. "We win together and if not good enough, we lose together. "I cannot stand losing and am making hard decisions to put us in the best position for sustained success."

For most fans, back-office drama doesn't matter. What they care about is between the white lines at Nippert, but Berding is acutely aware that changes aren't going unnoticed by the club's die-hard supporters.

The club had approximately 30 employees at the start of this calendar year and projects the workforce to double in size by early 2019.

Some of the notable additions will come in the form of an art director to oversee all graphic design and presentation, along with a leader on the finance and accounting side of the operation. Berding lured away Darius Howard, who ran Bengals.com; Alex Stec from the Columbus Crew; and Kevin Noonan, a Cincinnati native who came home after working for New England Revolution.

"Do you want to be great? Let's be honest, being average is a hell of a lot easier and there's plenty of places where people who are willing to be average can go," Berding said. "We have high standards here. We want to be great. We've been an ambitious club from the start. We want to win for our city. That doesn't require average. It requires greatness."

Nippert Stadium makeover ahead

Fans love Nippert Stadium, but the facility needs to be brought up to MLS standards in several key areas. Mostly, the improvements will be behind the scenes, For instance, the visiting team locker room will be moved to FC Cincinnati's current team room under The Bailey section in the north end of the venue.

FC Cincinnati has committed to putting in new turf that will allow for an easier transition between UC Bearcats football and soccer.

Right now, the turf is comprised of six total pieces with removable end zones sections for football. The seams between the end zone and main field sections are visible and bumpy.

The new playing surface will be a single piece of turf. The end zones and soccer/football lines will be applied with temporary paint.

Building a team on the field

On the soccer side of FC Cincinnati, where Berding works in concert with Technical Director Luke Sassano, the operation is ramping up as the most important offseason in club history draws closer.

In the space of 10 days this summer, FC Cincinnati added three players widely expected to make the jump to MLS – Fanendo Adi, Fatai Alashe, and Pa Konate – and Pa-Modou Kah, a former player and Vancouver Whitecaps FC assistant coach who is now serving Cincinnati as a scout.

Other hires on the scouting side are expected but Kah's addition was a jumpstart.

"He had an extensive career in Europe and MLS," Sassano said in a July interview. "He's an impressive guy. He speaks, I believe, seven languages. It might be eight... He's always been a guy that's seen the game in a special way."

Adi, who pulls down nearly $2 million in total compensation, according to his MLS contract, was the big summer signing to anchor the MLS roster.

In other words, an atypical signing at a time when average won't suffice for Berding.