A land sale that includes the MUSC Health Stadium site could prompt Charleston Battery to find a new home for 2020, with the club seeking opportunities in Charleston.
MUSC Health Stadium, located on Daniel Island, has been the home of USL Championship’s Battery since it was completed in 1999. The stadium site, along with surrounding property that includes a practice field and offices, is set to be sold by Holland Park, LLC to an affiliate of Atlanta-based Holder Properties under an agreement that is reportedly close to being finalized.
Should it move forward, the transaction is expected to end the Battery’s run at MUSC Health Stadium, but Eric Bowman of ownership group B Sports Entertainment indicates that the club is interested in shifting home matches to downtown Charleston. One solution that has reportedly been discussed is for the Battery to set up shop at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium beginning in 2020, but there is no final agreement between the two sides at this point. More from the Post and Courier:
Bowman declined to discuss the sale of the stadium. He said in an email that he’s interested in moving the team back onto the peninsula.
“If there were an opportunity to move the team to downtown Charleston where the club started, the Charleston Battery would be extremely excited about the opportunity,” Bowman said Wednesday. “The possibilities to benefit the local community and the energy it would bring to the nation’s longest running professional soccer team are invigorating.”
The club has approached The Citadel about leasing Johnson Hagood Stadium for its matches beginning in 2020.
“We’ve held some preliminary discussions with the Battery, but nothing has been finalized,” said Mike Capaccio, athletic director for the military college. “We’re going to do what’s best for The Citadel’s athletic program, our student-athletes and our fans.”
The Battery would not be included in the sale. MUSC Health Stadium was known as Blackbaud Stadium when it originally opened, and was revolutionary at the time for using a soccer-specific design.
Image courtesy Charleston Battery.