City of Columbus

June 27, 2019

The Columbus Crew SC has been saved, and that’s great. The City is the rightful home to this original MLS team, and soccer will remain part of our heritage for generations to come.

A story that sometimes gets lost in the excitement of a new Downtown stadium – as well as a revamped training facility and a new community sports park on the MAPFRE site – is the win for workers.

These various projects are expected to support more than 600 construction jobs. The stadium, mixed-use development and sports park are projected to support 775 full-time permanent jobs once built out.

In addition, the new Crew owners have committed to spend a minimum of 30% of the total value of the two public projects with certified minority and women-owned business enterprise consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. They have worked closely with our Office of Diversity and Inclusion and, just this week, held an information session with area businesses.

The collaborative nature of the negotiations on all aspects of this deal have been extraordinary. By any measure, this is a complex deal with many moving parts and partners.

What hasn’t changed is the City’s commitment to its residents. Our investment will not only keep the joy of soccer in Columbus, it will leverage hundreds of jobs now and in the future.