FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 27, 2018
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Elizabeth Christian Public Relations
512-472-9599

Update from Precourt Sports Ventures on
Austin, TX 
 

“Precourt Sports Ventures continues to work with the Austin community to secure an
appropriate urban core site for a soccer-specific stadium that will serve as the home of
Austin’s first major league professional sports franchise. We announced our serious
interest to work with Austin prior to the start of the 2017 playoffs, an announcement
that embodied risk, urgency, and a genuine desire to work with Austin to find the right
site.
“With the right site, we can build a world-class, privately financed $200 million soccer
park and grounds. As we have said from the onset of this exploratory process, a
location in the vibrant urban core where people live, work, and play is of paramount
importance. This stadium location is a critical driver to the club’s long-term success. 
 
“Based on the direction of the City of Austin Council and staff, we are conducting due
diligence on a variety of sites, including city-owned parkland and city-owned land (nonparkland) suggested by the City on December 14, 2017 (Council Resolution No.
20171109-046). Independently, we also continue to explore a select list of privately
held parcels. 
 
“The initial list of sites provided by the city contains a variety of options, and we
continue to carefully analyze each site recommended by the City. We started the
process in earnest with Butler Shores because we were given early indications from city
leaders that it is a viable, under-utilized site.
“Precourt Sports Ventures’ extensive due diligence work on the Butler Shores site
included architectural renderings, landscape design, light, sound, parking, traffic and
engineering studies. Understanding that parkland is a treasured community asset, and
the creation of a successful soccer park and grounds within the landscape of parkland is
a responsibility we take seriously, we also began to develop a package of community
benefits tied to the creation of a soccer park on parkland. Based on our analysis, a
public-private partnership of this nature could deliver community benefits in excess of
$400 million in the club’s first 25 years, in the form of community investments, park
improvements, soccer wellness and programming, wages and construction services,
among others. If an MLS club were to play at a soccer park and grounds on city-owned
parkland, the Austin community would also benefit from the broader social and
economic impact. We encourage the City of Austin to independently verify this.

  
“We are still in the process of identifying the right stadium site in Austin, TX. We
recognize some would prefer if this process were to move faster, however we believe
that ultimately there is value in being thorough as opposed to being fast. And although
we are willing to dedicate significant time and expense in this effort, we are not in a
position to move to Austin if the right site is not identified.
“Additionally, we have engaged and hired a team of experts to help bring an Austin
team to life, including: JP Morgan for financial expertise; Armbrust & Brown for legal
and real estate counsel; CAA/ICON for project management oversight and feasibility;
Gensler for sports architecture and design; Elizabeth Christian Public Relations for local
media relations; two local branding and advertising agencies; local political advisors and
consultants; among others.
 
“As we continue a dialogue with Austin about possible locations for a soccer facility in
Austin’s urban core, we welcome new ideas and community input before any further
decisions are made or actions are taken.
“Elected officials and community leaders, as well as thousands of citizens, have
repeatedly stated that they support the concept of establishing a home for Major
League Soccer in Austin. We are hopeful that, if in the context of this conversation the
best site is either parkland or city-owned land, the will of the people, across a spectrum
of perspectives and districts, would be heard.”
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Please attribute statement to Anthony Precourt, chairman and CEO of Precourt Sports
Ventures, which owns Columbus Crew SC.