Zach Groves
The Alestle
February 13, 2007
 

Collinsville may bring soccer fever to the Metro East.

According to Collinsville Mayor Stan Schaeffer, the city and private investor Jeff Cooper of SimmonCooper LLC, are negotiating plans to bring a Major League Soccer franchise and stadium to the city.

The suggested spot for the stadium is located near Interstate 255 on Horseshoe Lake Road. Collinsville was supposed to house an amphitheater proposed in 2002, but it was never built.
Schaeffer said both sides are drawing close, but at a time when pressure is growing. He said they have discussed plans since January 2006 and are still hammering out the details for a stadium, which is reported to meet a 2008 deadline before construction begins.

"We have some things on the table to see if we can finish the project," Schaeffer said. "We would like to get a decision as soon as possible."

Schaeffer said he is hoping Collinsville taxpayers will not have to fund the stadium when the plan is finalized. Rather, stadium attendees will fund it once the stadium is built.

"We are hoping to stay away from the general fund," Schaeffer said.

According to Cooper, hotel packages may also be involved in funding the stadium.

Cooper said the construction will take 16 to 18 months, so the proposed St. Louis-based franchise would need to find an "intralocation" to play games. Additionally, he and Schaeffer met with MLS officials and negotiated the creation of a St. Louis franchise.

"What we said initially was that we were extremely confident that we would have professional soccer in St. Louis by 2008," Cooper said.

The stadium would not only host a major league soccer team, but also be a venue for concerts, youth soccer leagues and even state and national soccer tournaments. Schaeffer would not rule out the possibility of an MLS All-Star game and bringing international teams to Collinsville.

He said he has spoken with the officials about the land and claimed they were pleased with it. However, the land is taxed and needs a buyer.

The MLS Communications Department did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

The reported plan included a St. Louis franchise playing outside the city and in a different state. Other teams such as the New York Red Bulls, who play in East Rutherford, N.J., and the Los Angeles Galaxy in Carson, Calif., do not literally play in their cities.

Schaeffer said one of the questions he and Cooper had to answer when conducting feasibility studies involved whether or not people would drive to Collinsville to watch games. He said that would not be an issue.

He added that while the Gateway Grizzlies baseball team plays in nearby Sauget, "a large percentage of their ticket holders are from St. Louis."

Another issue they faced was whether there would be enough interest in professional soccer in the St. Louis area. The gateway city is known for its lengthy baseball history and fan base.

"Basically, this is (a) soccer hotbed," Schaeffer said. "We produce the state champs or (are) in the top three each year."

Schaeffer said he could not identify who approached him about making Collinsville a soccer city, but shortly after the suggestion he and Cooper started talking to MLS officials and continue to do so.

Cooper, a Granite City native and former soccer player, said professional soccer would bring the Metro East area prominence.

"It would be huge for St. Louis and huge for the business community," Cooper said. "We are excited for all the local businesses for this to be happening."

No dollar figures are official, but the stadium could resemble the Chicago Fire's new stadium in Bridgeview, which seats 25,000 and cost $98 million, according to the Belleville News-Democrat. A consulting firm backed the project with $15 million in private funds.

The outdoor stadium also includes seats that pull out on the field to give fans a better feel of the competition.

Schaeffer said the price tag and financing involved with the Bridgeview's stadium would not work for Collinsville.

Schaeffer is not the only one rejoicing at the idea of a professional soccer stadium. Soccer players, such as SIUE junior kinesiology major and back Sara Stroud, who is from Collinsville, said it could help put soccer on a national scale.

"I think it is going to be good for the St. Louis metropolitan area," Stroud said.

"It will bring soccer to another level for us."

Fellow Collinsville residents are also sharing the excitement. SIUE graduate Cory Freeman said the stadium will help the city catch up with sprouting neighbors Edwardsville and Glen Carbon.

"A soccer stadium would bring in some growth that I think would be beneficial to the town along with a little more hometown pride," Freeman said.

"It would give us something to come together kind of like the Gateway Grizzlies … give us something to root for."

Despite their enthusiasm for the thought of a professional sports stadium in their backyard, Freeman and Stroud originally had no idea the ongoing talks between SimmonsCooper and Schaeffer were even happening.

Collinsville was previously a candidate for the Grizzlies baseball stadium, but the city council voted against funding for it and the team ended up moving to Sauget.

Major League Soccer has expanded 13 teams since it began in 1996 in the continental United States and Canada.

"It is a league that is growing and a sport that is near and dear to the heart of most St. Louisans," Cooper said.