The City of St. Louis has obtained an option on a 30-acre parcel in its downtown, which could be used to construct an MLS stadium.
It has been confirmed that the city now has a two-year option to buy the land from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The parcel is near 22nd Street and Highway 40, putting it close to downtown amenities such as Union Station.
At this point, some details remain unanswered. The city is not ruling out other uses for the land, and a price has not been determined. However, city Clearance and Redevelopment Authority executive director Otis Williams said that it plans to thoroughly study the site’s potential. More from the St. Louis Post Dispatch:
The city has two years to negotiate a purchase. No current estimates of the property’s value were available, although an assessment would be done by someone chosen by the state, according to commission minutes.
Williams said the city has been interested in the site for a decade, calling it “prime property” for a number of potential uses. Those potential uses will become more clear when a traffic impact study related to the expansion of the nearby Jefferson Avenue/Interstate 64 interchange is completed next year, Williams said.
“We have to go through that process and answer all of the questions before anything gets approved,” Williams said.
Williams could not immediately provide the exact boundaries of the 30-acre property.
Though this concept is still preliminary in nature, it certainly adds to the recent developments in St. Louis’ push for an MLS expansion franchise. This land is likely part of a plan for MLS2STL, an organizing committee that has been looking to lay the groundwork for a facility in downtown St. Louis.
Meanwhile, a separate effort from another group is in the works. Foundry St. Louis recently unveiled renderings for a stadium that would be built on a 13-acre parcel at Chouteau Avenue and Grand Boulevard, which is located in Midtown near the University of St. Louis. Foundry St. Louis confirmed to the Post Dispatch that it is not considering the downtown location.
Rendering dates from a previous effort to bring MLS to St. Louis; it does not reflect any current plans.
RELATED STORIES: Foundry St. Louis Releases MLS Stadium Rendering; Foundry St. Louis to Pitch Stadium Concept; Legal Case Could Affect St. Louis MLS Efforts; Another Potential MLS Group Emerges in St. Louis; Funding for St. Louis MLS Stadium in Question; Following Busch Stadium Match, St. Louis Continues MLS Push; St. Louis MLS Ownership Group Still in Formative Stages; Investor interest in new St. Louis team emerges