Columbus took a step toward bringing professional women's soccer to the city as a divided City Council approved a $25M deal for team facilities and training space at McCoy Park.
City council members made changes to an agreement to support a bid for a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team before approving legislation in a split vote Monday night.
The agreement positions the city to put $25 million toward building facilities for a team, including a training space at McCoy Park on the city's Southwest Side. The team's owners would pledge money to build a replacement for the park.
Outraged residents criticized the plan for forfeiting the park that has been slated to become a therapeutic recreation space for people with disabilities. Supporters have said a team would bolster women's sports and drive economic growth.
Council's 5-to-3 decision Monday was met with a mixture of disgruntled shouts and scattered applause. Frustrated council members defended their votes.
Councilwoman Tiara Ross supported the agreement but apologized to the community for the process.
"This is not how we build trust. It's not how govern responsibly. And the administration should be ashamed of itself for the blatant disregard of the people of this community," she said.
Council President Shannon Hardin, and councilmen Nick Bankston, Emmanuel Remy and Christopher Wyche joined Ross in approving the agreement.
"I would encourage the community not to ever do this again, (to) pit one community like women against another community like the Southwest side — who's also underserved — and say that that is a choice, that we are choosing one or the other," Hardin said. "Don't do that again."
"I'm taking a terrible vote to make sure that we are still able to do a very big thing, like bring women's soccer to Columbus."- Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin
Councilwoman Lourdes Barroso de Padilla abstained, citing her connection with Nationwide Foundation through the nonprofit City Year.
Nancy Day-Auchauer, Melissa Green and Rob Dorans voted against the agreement, despite an amendment that established a timeline for a new park to replace McCoy Park.
"This body should not have been put in this position. The community should not be put in his position to try to make a bad deal better," Dorans said.
If the city is awarded a NWLS team, Columbus Recreation and Parks will have 15 days to create a working group to plan for a new park that fulfils McCoy's role. The group will have 60 days to come up with a plan that includes groundbreaking by the end of this year, and opening the park by the end of 2027.
Owners of the city NWLS soccer team would contribute $3 million for the development of that park.
The city's $25 million contribution toward securing a team has yet to be formally appropriated. City Council will vote on that at a later date, and can withhold funding if progress is not made on establishing a replacement community park.
The agreement also requires a lease for a future training facility at McCoy Park to allow the community to use some parts of the land, including a current freestanding building and future academy fields.
"It is not about writing a blank check to billionaires. It's about striking the right deal with private ownership."- Columbus City Councilman Emmanuel Remy
Columbus Crew and Cleveland Browns majority owner Haslam Sports Group, headed by billionaires Jimmy and Dee Haslam, asked Columbus and Franklin County each for $25 million to support a bid for a team.
Tuesday morning, Franklin County Commissioners Erica Crawley and John O'Grady approved their own $25 million agreement, with Commissioner Kevin Boyce abstaining.
Crawley said commissioners would not use any tax revenue for the effort. She said the agreement came with a promise from team owners to invest $12 million in Franklin County, with $6 million going to early childhood initiatives and combatting food insecurities respectively.
"This turned from what I thought was a bad deal into what I think is a fantastic deal on behalf of the residents of Franklin County," O'Grady said about the $12 million.
Columbus City Council plans to recoup its investment with a fee on all ticketed events at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, where the Crew plays. The women's team would also play at the field.
The Crew will bump its 5% admissions fee to 7%. The full 7% from Crew events and the additional 2% from other events held at the field will go to repaying the city.
