FC Cincinnati (Columbus, Mason, Dent: appointed, tax, stadium)

[mimi in cinci]

I second the NIMBY. The roads in and out of Oakley were not designed to accommodate that kind of traffic.

Continuing to use Nippert would be my first choice followed closely by repurposing PBS. Wishful thinking, I know.

[cincydave8]

I think the West End is the best location. Oakley would be a nightmare. I can just imagine a game during the same time Crossroads is doing something. There would be cars backed up for miles in all directions. I think Newport is more of a bargaining chip to help secure tax abetments or help with infrastructure improvements, since FCC keeps saying they're not asking for tax increases. Plus they're putting up at least $250 million...compare that to Mike Brown who only put up $25 million toward $455 million Paul Brown Stadium. Sheesh.

[motorman]

Except for its downtown riverfront location, PBS would be a terrible choice for MLS, so forget it.

Oakley is a questionable choice. First of all, as much as this dynamite neighborhood has exploded in business and residential growth, access to the planned soccer complex will be a huge problem; ask anyone who has ever tried to enter Oakley Station from either Robertson Ave. or Madison Rd. Next, few soccer fans will wish to walk to MadTree Brewing or any other Oakley watering hole. Last, even though Oakley is one of the city's inner suburbs, it's still a suburb and that will lessen its appeal for fans seeking a central location.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by mimi in cinci

I second the NIMBY. The roads in and out of Oakley were not designed to accommodate that kind of traffic.

Continuing to use Nippert would be my first choice followed closely by repurposing PBS. Wishful thinking, I know.

^^^ Correct.

Crossroads Church creates a massive traffic jam on Sunday morning. can't imagine what FC would be like.

[Nomomo07]

Originally Posted by motorman

Except for its downtown riverfront location, PBS would be a terrible choice for MLS, so forget it.

Oakley is a questionable choice. First of all, as much as this dynamite neighborhood has exploded in business and residential growth, access to the planned soccer complex will be a huge problem; ask anyone who has ever tried to enter Oakley Station from either Robertson Ave. or Madison Rd. Next, few soccer fans will wish to walk to MadTree Brewing or any other Oakley watering hole. Last, even though Oakley is one of the city's inner suburbs, it's still a suburb and that will lessen its appeal for fans seeking a central location.

By definition Oakley is a city neighborhood, NOT a suburb. It lies within city limits. An inner suburb would be Silverton, Fairfax, Golf Manor, Deer Park, etc.

I think the best choice for the stadium is the West End. Best opportunity for future growth and great proximity to nightlife. The area can easily handle the traffic.

[jmecklenborg]

A credible source tells me that FC Cincinnati is under contract to purchase the lower section of the Hartwell golf course:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2053.../data=!3m1!1e3


This could be for a practice facility. Unlikely that it's for a stadium because of flooding issues.

[Coseau]

The business model Major League Soccer is not simply building soccer specific stadiums. The actual vision is a larger real estate development scheme in which office towers, housing and retail shopping are integrated into the stadium construction as revenue generators. One goes to a soccer match, stays after the game to eat at nearby restaurants and frequent nearby merchants to buy stuff.

This probably explains why USFL's Cincinnati FC is doing better in attendance than the MLS Columbus Crew. Nippert Stadium is in an densely built urban environment surrounded by pubs and restaurants. At Nippert stadium the soccer match is part of an broader experience in which a person can spend the day or night enjoying the pubs and restaurants in the Corryville and Clifton Heights neighborhoods that borders it. The same cannot be said of MapFre South stadium.

Long term wise Newport's ovation location may be a better site due to the greater availability of land to better integrate a larger real estate development scheme into the stadium construction. To ease traffic and parking Carl Lindner III can easily afford to fund a short extension of the street car from Great American ballpark to across the river to Newport. It would also be beneficial for the real estate development aspect of the project in freeing up land to develop that otherwise would have to be sacrificed for parking, thereby increasing density and foot traffic in such development.

[Mircea]

Nippert Stadium is good enough for FC Cincinnati.

I'm both amazed and fortunate (and proud) that WSTR-64 televises the matches with no commercial interruptions, and I do enjoy watching the matches.

[Coseau]

Nippert stadium is perfect for FC Cincinnati but is not suited to the business model of Major League Soccer. To keep the league stable financially MLS needs billionaire soccer franchise owners for twofold reasons. They need owners that own their stadiums so that in case of possible revenue shortfalls they can with other non soccer related events such as music concerts recoup financial losses. If that doesn't totally plug all remaining league related revenue shortfalls billionaire owners have the monetary wherewithal to personally absorb any remaining financial losses.

[cincydave8]

PHOTOS: This is what a future FC Cincinnati stadium could look like

Renderings out. Important to remember that while the renderings show Newport this does not mean they've picked Newport. In fact, it seems like they want to stay in the city. They just want a TIF and/or tax abatements.

Stadium would only be built if they get accepted into MLS. Expected opening would Be Spring 2018.