Franklin County has joined Columbus in approving $25 million each for a deal with private investors seeking to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Columbus.
The Franklin County Commissioners voted 2-0 with one abstention by Commissioner Kevin Boyce on April 21 to approve the deal with the prospective ownership group seeking a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise. This includes Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the billionaire majority owners of the Crew, and Nationwide. Boyce did not disclose why he abstained.
This $50 million public deal shows the NWSL that local government is invested and is the last piece of the puzzle needed to complete the bid for a team, according to the Haslam Sports Group. Representatives of the group have said they expect a league decision very soon.
The public dollars will be used to help construct a training facility at McCoy Park and to upgrade ScottsMiracle-Gro Field to be able to host a second team. The facility is already home to the Columbus Crew.
Commissioner Erica Crawley said she expects to see a return on investment for the county.
“I think it’s also important for girls to be able to watch women compete at the highest level,” Crawley said.
The county’s deal requires the team to stay in the county for 25 years or money will be clawed back. The county will take out $25 million in bonds and pay back the debt with fees and other revenue, not county taxes. The ownership group has committed to donating $12 million back into the county over a 12-year period focused on early childhood education, workforce development and food insecurity.
Commissioner John O’Grady said he was not initially in favor of this deal when he was first approached about it because he’s not a fan of giving millions to billionaires. But once the ownership group agreed to the $12 million community benefits agreement, he said it became a fantastic deal. O’Grady said sports deals have a return on investment, by putting heads in beds and fans in bars and shops.
The quick county votes comes a day after a contentious vote by the Columbus City Council. The council voted 5-3 with one abstention on the plan that includes a 2% ticket tax for events at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field to finance the city’s investment.
Several council members and residents criticized the need to provide McCoy Park to the team as the city had previously planned to upgrade the park, which sits in one of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
The private investors released this statement ahead of the commissioners’ vote:
“Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide and Dr. Christine and Dr. Pete Edwards appreciate the efforts by all the local city officials who worked together on this public-private partnership and its collective commitment to supporting professional women athletes,” the April 21 statement read. “Together, we built a plan that invests in world-class facilities, creates long-term economic and community benefits for the City and enhances our opportunity to bring an NWSL club to Columbus in 2028.”
“We remain engaged in collaborative discussions with Franklin County on an agreement that best accomplishes the goals of our region, including our shared vision of securing the NWSL’s 18th club,” the statement from the ownership group read. “As part our long-standing relationship with Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, we look forward to working together on these next projects that advance access to parks and programming for children and families of all abilities on the southwest side and across our city.”
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County joins Columbus in supporting NWSL deal, clearing way for bid
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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