JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Gov.-elect Eric Greitens says he is opposed to using taxpayer funding for a new soccer stadium in St. Louis.
“This project is nothing more than welfare for millionaires,” the Gov.-elect said in a statement. “Right now, because of reckless spending by career politicians, we can’t even afford the core functions of government, let alone spend millions on soccer stadiums. This back-room wheeling and dealing is exactly what frustrates Missourians. This type of politics as usual is coming to an end.”
Greitens’ opposition to this stadium deal marks a major contrast between himself and the man he’s replacing, Gov. Jay Nixon. Nixon was at the forefront of the ultimately unsuccessful effort to keep the then-St. Louis Rams from moving to Los Angeles by building a new football stadium on the riverfront which would have cost nearly $1 billion.
After the departure of the Rams, attention in St. Louis turned to a different kind of football: soccer.
An ownership group, SC STL, is currently pursuing a Major League Soccer expansion team, with plans to build a $200 million stadium downtown that would require millions of dollars in public funding.
The MLS is already adding two new teams to expand to 24 by the end of the decade. It eventually plans to add four more. St. Louis is among eight markets that have publicly expressed interest in the four additional expansion slots.
The proposed MLS stadium would be located virtually adjacent to and west of St. Louis Union Station. If built, it would be owned by the city and would host amateur sports events, concerts, and other community events. The proposed soccer stadium would accommodate approximately 20,000 seats, with the ability to expand to 28,500 seats.
A proposal has been filed with the Board of Aldermen. If the Board of Aldermen places the measure on the April ballot, SC STL is hoping city voters will approve $80 million in public funding for the proposed $200 million stadium. The proposal must be approved by Jan. 24 to make the April 4 ballot.
Greitens’ statement has some support with members of the Missouri legislature, as well.
Sen. Bill Eigel, R-St. Charles County, says he stands with the Gov.-elect on this issue.
“During my primary and general election campaign, I advocated for making government more efficient instead of handing out public money to millionaires,” Eigel said in a release issued on Monday.
He says that as one of the voices from the St. Louis area in the Missouri Senate, he intends to focus on making sure tax dollars are “spent on priorities actually having to do with the role of government, not handouts for sports clubs”.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
