Local News
Officials Note Two Possible Locations for Austin Soccer Stadium
Talk of adding a soccer stadium in the Austin city limits may have many locals rolling their eyes, especially at one proposed location. The Austin Chronicle writes that Precourt Sports Ventures has their eye on Butler Shores, an area near Barton Springs Road between South Lamar and Zilker Park. They want to relocate the Columbus Crew FC to Austin, and they call this area “virtually perfect” to build a 20,000 seat stadium. The only issue is that it would be a very snug fit with little to no parking available for soccer fans.
Anticipating the ruffled feathers of Austinites who live near this area, Richard Suttle, an attorney working with the Columbus Crew, told Austin Business Journal, “Whatever becomes the preferred site, we will start a comprehensive process of involving neighbors and other stakeholders to create a facility the whole community can embrace.”
The next day, Austin Sports & Entertainment announced that there was interest in a patch of land out by the Travis County Expo Center, located east of the city near the Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park, for a potential stadium for the Columbus Crew. There would also be the addition of an arena to replace the Frank Erwin Center in the same area.
In addition to these two location proposals, the Columbus Crew could also end up staying in Ohio, so stay tuned for more information as the story unfolds.