The "public comments at the hearing before the vote left little doubt that Monterey Park residents overwhelmingly disdained not only the prospect of a massive, noisy, and polluting infrastructure project being erected in their backyards, but who that project would benefit, at their expense.”
YESSSSS GO COHOST
City Council will front $25 million to the prospective ownership group to build a training facility at McCoy park, and retrofit the Crew’s stadium for a new team.
If the city is awarded a team, a working group will be established to find a replacement park for neighborhood residents.
McCoy Park is a weird part of the city to designate to the training facility anyway (it’s…a pretty industrial not very nice area), and there had been a previous pledge from the Mayor to turn that area into a nicer green space and playground for families
Columbus City council has voted in favor of the proposal to bring the NWSL to Columbus.
Councilwoman Nancy Day-Achauer expresses her frustrations in the Mayor dealing the park away in secret.
"I've not waded through this much B.S. since I mucked cow stalls as a 4H kid. This is ridiculous."
"Giving them more money is like pouring water into the ocean"
The kids' letters are COOKING
Liz Reed of the South West Area commission is up first. She's called the Mayor's hasty work as reckless.
"They are exploiting your passion for women's sport, and your hope to grow Columbus to support a package that is harmful. You have the power to stop this now."
Earlier today, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin had a press conference about NWSL Columbus legislation tonight.
They recommend
- Haslams get the land
- 75 days to get a new park site and groundbreaking
- 3 million from Haslams towards new park
- Training center needs public use area
We've got the ordinance now on the city fronting the $25 million dollar cost, to be repaid by a 2% tax on ticket sales.
Hardin's repeating his remarks made to the media about the plans for the rebuilt park being advanced while simultaneously being given away as part of the NWSL bid.
You are correct! I think folks could use a little more transparency on why this bid must move forward as is.
The Onion's Chicago owners have made a deal to turn Alex Jones' Infowars into their latest parody website.
blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/20/t...
I'm not familiar with Ohio law, but as this is public land I would assume you need demonstratable proof of this commitment, typically an ordinance or motion with approval from a commission or council.
answering a question from media on why it has to be built on McCoy Park, Hardin said it was because that's what's on the proposal to the NWSL.
The proposal "has a very specific site plan, and commitments that this is the site. I wish we could change it. That would've been the easiest thing to do."
I wrote about why this was a terrible partnership for the NWSL and that looks to be panning out. Yikes: www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/why-the-nw...
Councilwoman Lourdes Barroso de Padilla greets the observing audience in the council's chambers, delighted to see so many here for the first time.
"Democracy is a beautiful thing. We hope you continue to come back."
And fun fact: the Columbus city council meeting streams on youtube!
Looks like the festivities have just kicked off.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8El...
Hardin says council was not made aware of the plans to renovate McCoy Park until the City Council Meeting on April 6th (!)
Ahead of tonight's meeting, City Council President Shannon Hardin gave a presser
"The Mayor provided financial and land commitments to the ownership group that council had not signed off on. and for the last month, we've been having a very public debate about it."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlcl...
The more I read the more confusing it gets, and the optics are BAD.
www.pressreader.com/usa/the-colu...
Just knock down Mapfre and build it there!
Or play in the Crew’s stadium!
So damn unnecessary
look, I'm just A Girl, but to me it's a bit of a mustache-twirling villain move to take away the public park with specially-designed areas for disabled members of the community, and give it to a billionaire-backed project to bring an NWSL team.
NBC 4 spoke with Mary Shepro, the Columbus Crew's President of Business operations. When asked if she was aware fot he community plans to renovate the park, she said
"We worked with the city to select this site because we believed it was available"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avkz...
Really interesting to see the local Columbus news coverage on the new NWSL team proposal!
As ABC 6's Kierstin Lindqvist reports, the Columbus Mayor and members of city council have received over $150,000 in donations from the prospective ownership group.
abc6onyourside.com/news/local/c...
ICYMI: Columbus city council will vote on a proposal to bring the NWSL to the city.
The process has been rushed, and has left residents out of the conversation!
City council member Nancy Day-Archauer called it a “kick in the teeth” saying “A commitment is great, but a commitment had already been made for a new McCoy Park, and that was taken away from a community that was about to get groundbreaking, so this generation of kids could have a park to play in."
The Mayor of Columbus promised a new park after the plan sparked a backlash from local residents, who were unable to share their concerns.
It’s still unclear where and when that park will open.
www.dispatch.com/story/news/l...
Columbus City Council is voting on a proposal to turn a large portion of a city park into a practice facility for the yet to be confirmed Columbus NWSL team.
The plan would reverse a promise from the Mayor to make the park accessible to the disabled community.
matternews.org/voices/local...
Setting my other thoughts aside, we gotta stop naming things "Gamechanger[s]"
Good to knowwwwww thanks!