Louisville, Ky. – To enhance professional soccer in Louisville, Mayor Greg Fischer announced that the city has agreed to a study on the feasibility of constructing a new soccer stadium.
The $75,000 study, being conducted by Conventions, Sports & Leisure International (CSL), a leading advisory and planning firm based in Minneapolis, Minn., will provide insight into the physical, operational and financial characteristics for a new stadium in Louisville.
Currently Louisville City FC, the city’s professional soccer club founded in 2014, plays matches at Louisville Slugger Field.
“Professional soccer is off to a great start in Louisville, and a new soccer stadium could have many positive impacts on our economy,” Fischer said. “This new investment in soccer will contribute to our authentic and vibrant community and give citizens one central team to rally around.”
As part of the study, four potential areas, including downtown Louisville, will be examined to see which provides the greatest opportunity for a soccer stadium that could host a variety of events such as international soccer matches, concerts, festivals and other community gatherings.
“The remarkable success of the Louisville City FC shows that our community supports and craves professional soccer,” said Kent Oyler, President and CEO of Greater Louisville, Inc. “From the business perspective, having multiple high-energy spectator sports like Louisville City FC helps with talent attraction and retention.”
“The step that the Mayor’s office and the city of Louisville have taken today is significant in the process to bring a soccer-specific stadium to Louisville,” said Amanda Duffy, President of Louisville City FC. “By engaging Conventions, Sports & Leisure International to deliver a recommended direction for a stadium location, as well as a path for project funding, illustrates the decisive action that we’re all taking to achieve the goal of bringing the highest level of professional sports to Kentucky and Southern Indiana.”
In addition to the city-funded study, the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will ask its board at its next meeting to consider commissioning a separate study that looks at the feasibility of building an amateur and youth sports complex, which could house sports such as soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball and softball.
The timeline of the city study and project details are yet to be determined. Louisville Forward, the city’s office of economic development, is collaborating with CSL on study parameters.
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