Columbus Crew SC is considering its future stadium options and is seeking fan feedback in the process, according to an email sent on Monday.
Multiple outlets are reporting that the organization emailed fans to gauge feedback on the prospect of a new stadium. It appears to be something of an early step at this point, but the Crew is looking at its options that could include replacing Mapfre Stadium (shown above), which opened in 1999 as the first soccer-specific stadium in the MLS.
While Mapfre Stadium, then known as Columbus Crew Stadium, certainly represented a turning point for the MLS, there has since been an influx of new stadiums. Soccer-specific facilities that have opened in more recent years have surpassed Mapfre Stadium in terms of amenities, and the Crew are likely anticipating that that trend will continue as expansion teams enter the league. More from The Columbus Dispatch:
The email invited fans to take a survey to help the club understand fans’ “opinion and potential interest in the project.”
Barrett Sports Group of Manhattan Beach, California, will collect and interpret survey responses.
If a stadium development in Columbus follows other MLS trends, the Crew could look to move closer to downtown Columbus. Mapfre Stadium is located about three-and-a-half to four miles north of the city’s downtown.