MLS Stadiums Dig Deep Into Public Coffers

Late last week, the MLS announced that it was beginning to search for a place to put a new soccer stadium in downtown Saint Louis, which presumably would mean the city will be on the short list for an expansion team in 2020. While this is great news for soccer fans, residents should be concerned that we may be in for yet another push to publicly fund a stadium.

A new soccer stadium could cost anywhere from $40 million to more than $300 million, depending on the design. One might hope the lower price tag, especially compared with the NFL and other major sports leagues, would prompt MLS owners to pay for these stadiums without public support. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Only two MLS stadiums, the Stubhub Center in Los Angeles and the Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, were built without any public support in the last fifteen years. And for anyone who hoped that a new Saint Louis team could play in the now-vacant Edward Jones Dome, no dice. Soccer-only stadiums are in vogue, and an MLS team has not located to a stadium not built specifically for soccer since 2002.

As with other pro sports ventures, many hope that increased tax revenue will justify public subsidies for an MLS team. But there is no good evidence for that. In fact, there is the counter-example of Toyota Park (IL), the home of the Chicago Fire, which is quickly bankrupting the small suburb of Bridgeview.

While professional soccer would be a welcome addition to Saint Louis, there is no reason residents should have to pay for a stadium with tax revenue, especially in light of the big asks the city is already getting for the Scottrade Center and the Convention Center.  Let’s leave the construction of soccer stadiums to league owners and soccer fans.