最新杏吧原创

On Tuesday, she was finally able to share what she learned shortly after that vote. She and league Commissioner Don Garber revealed the news to a city that has been hungry to join the MLS for years: 最新杏吧原创 will be the 28th team added to the growing men's soccer league.

Garber鈥檚 announcement, made at the Palladium event space near Lafayette Square, represents a remarkable turnaround for an effort that many 最新杏吧原创ans thought had died in 2017 when voters rejected a special sales tax to support stadium financing.

鈥溩钚滦影稍�, with its incredibly rich soccer history, not only deserves a team, but has earned one,鈥� Garber told the crowd at the Palladium on Tuesday. 鈥淎fter two decades of discussions about 最新杏吧原创 being a part of our league, today the moment has arrived. We鈥檙e here to make a landmark announcement for your city.鈥�

Hundreds packed the Palladium, including fans, business executives and the region鈥檚 movers and shakers. They roared their approval, especially when Kindle Betz took the stage to share her take on the good news.

Kindle Betz, executive director of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and granddaughter of Enterprise Rent-A-Car founder Jack Taylor, plans to enjoy Tuesday鈥檚 win.

But the ownership group 鈥� Jim Kavanaugh, chief executive of World Wide Technology, and Enterprise Holdings鈥� Taylor family 鈥� won鈥檛 be resting for much longer than that.

If 最新杏吧原创 hopes to play its first MLS game in March 2022 in a dedicated stadium, that $200 million-plus stadium planned for Market Street near Union Station has to be built.

It鈥檚 a task Kindle Betz said will be finished on time 鈥渆ven if I have to go out with a hammer and nails myself,鈥� she quipped during an interview Tuesday.

The 最新杏吧原创 Board of Aldermen has already endorsed a stadium financing plan, which the Taylors have indicated would be 鈥渙verwhelmingly鈥� privately financed. There鈥檚 a break on real estate taxes and a few site-specific sales taxes that need final approval, but top city leaders have all signaled support and say details should be ready in a few weeks.

最新杏吧原创 Mayor Lyda Krewson and 最新杏吧原创 Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed shared the stage with Garber and Kindle Betz on Tuesday.

鈥淭his announcement here today is a huge win for the city that we all love,鈥� Krewson told the crowd, before turning to Kindle Betz and the Taylor and Kavanaugh families. 鈥淲ithout you we would have never been able to do this.鈥�

The addition of 最新杏吧原创 is a win for the MLS, too: Garber said it鈥檚 鈥渉ard to imagine Major League Soccer without 最新杏吧原创.鈥�

The city has a long and proud history in the sport, wide youth participation and, now, an opening left by the departure of the National Football League.

But Garber said the league added 最新杏吧原创 to the top of expansion lists even in MLS鈥檚 early years, 20 to 25 years ago.

MLS was just waiting for a strong 鈥渙wnership group and a stadium plan.鈥� The Taylors and Kavanaugh delivered that.

Though disappointing for soccer fans and Kavanaugh, who was part of a prior ownership group effort, city voters鈥� rejection of a stadium financing plan in 2017 has been a blessing in disguise, allowing the Taylor family to jump in and resurrect the bid. The ownership is now 100% local, and city leaders say taxpayers are getting a much better deal.

鈥淚f not for that failed vote, it would not have attracted the interest of the Taylor group,鈥� Garber said.

On outreach to corporate sponsors, local government and the public, 鈥渢hey have done everything right,鈥� Garber said.

But there鈥檚 still a lot of work to do.

鈥淔irst and foremost,鈥� Kindle Betz said, the owners need to lock down corporate sponsorships. That鈥檚 a task made much easier by Tuesday鈥檚 announcement.

鈥淣ow we can walk in and say we have a team,鈥� Kindle Betz said.