FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
St. Louis City SC (stylized as St. Louis CITY SC) is an American professional men’s soccer club based in St. Louis, Missouri. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference and joined in 2023 as an expansion team. The club was established in 2019 and plays its home matches at the Citypark, a new soccer-specific stadium next to Union Station in Downtown St. Louis.
HOW IT ALL BECAME A REALITY
In September 2018, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on a meeting between officials with the Missouri Department of Economic Development and MLS representatives regarding a stadium proposal; St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson later confirmed that a new group was trying to bring a team to St. Louis. St. Louis’s MLS bid was effectively re-launched on October 9 of that year, with Carolyn Kindle and other heirs to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car fortune as the primary investors. The stadium location remained the same as in the original 2016 location, near Union Station. This bid did not seek public funding through taxes or from the city, so the public did not get to vote on the stadium. On November 28, 2018, the Board of Aldermen’s Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee voted 8–0 to approve the stadium plan.
On April 18, 2019, the MLS announced plans to expand to 30 teams, up from the previous plan of 28. The league, currently at 27 teams, advised the Commissioner’s office to advance the discussions with the Sacramento Republic and St. Louis bids. Both bids were asked to make presentations to the MLS Expansion Committee to “address each bid’s final stadium plan, corporate commitments, the composition of the respective ownership groups, detailed economics on funding, strategic plans for fan development, commitments on player development and details on community programs.”
On April 20, 2019, two days after MLS announced it would advance discussions with the Sacramento and St. Louis bids, the St. Louis group released renderings and more information about their proposed stadium. The 22,500-seat stadium’s design was produced by a collaboration between HOK and Snow Kreilich Architects. The group also promised that every seat would be within 120 feet of the field and that a canopy would cover the stadium.
On August 20, 2019, MLS announced it had approved St. Louis as the league’s 28th franchise, with play expected to begin in the 2022 season.The ownership group consists of Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle Betz and female members of the Taylor family, and is the first female majority-owned team in MLS. In the announcement, Don Garber said, “St. Louis is a city with a rich soccer tradition, and it is a market we have considered since the league’s inception. Our league becomes stronger today with the addition of the city’s deeply dedicated soccer fans, and the committed and innovative local ownership group led by Carolyn Kindle Betz, the Taylor family, and Jim Kavanaugh.”
On October 19, 2019, the ownership group released new plans for the planned soccer-specific stadium. The area was extended to encompass a 31-acre (13 ha) plan and would likely exceed the original $200 million cost estimate. The ownership group agreed to purchase and own the land along with the stadium and will not seek tax revenue or public financing.
On December 17, 2019, the state of Missouri informed the ownership group that the $30 million previously promised by the state will no longer be provided. However, on March 18, 2020, the Missouri Development Finance Board unanimously approved a package of incentives worth $5.7 million in tax credits to help with construction of the $458 million stadium and surrounding area.
On March 25, 2020, the ownership group released a statement regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Site preparation for the stadium will continue as planned but will adhere to all health advice from public health officials and the local, state, and national government. Site preparation includes clearing all land where the stadium will sit and demolishing the old on and off ramps located on the site.
On March 31, 2021, Purina, a pet food maker founded and based in St. Louis, became the club’s first jersey sponsor and founding partner.
On July 14, 2021, Together Credit Union, a local credit union, became the club’s second founding partner and the official banking partner.
Former South African International and New York Red Bulls assistant coach Bradley Carnell was named as the teams first head coach on January 5, 2022.
STADIUM
The team will play in Citypark in downtown St. Louis that is expected to be the anchor of a 31-acre (13 ha) development area that will include team offices, training facilities, and commercial districts. The stadium is intended to field 17 to 23 soccer games a year and serve as a venue for concerts, high school sports, and more. The design of the stadium is intended to connect the surrounding area and the downtown area together while blending with the neighborhood.
OWNERSHIP GROUP
The St. Louis City SC ownership group consists of Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle and female members of the Taylor family (Enterprise Holdings), and is the first female majority-owned team in MLS. The group also includes CEO of World Wide Technology, Jim Kavanaugh and members of the Kavanaugh family.
COLORS AND BADGE
The crest features the iconic Gateway Arch and the two lines symbolize the confluence of the region’s two rivers (Mississippi River and Missouri River). The team’s colors are city red, river blue, energy yellow, and arch steel gray.
THE ORIGINAL ST. LOUIS CITY SC TEAM
TECHNICAL STAFF
TEAM’S FIRST CAPTAIN
RIVALRIES
Due to their home cities close proximity, 248 miles and historic regional rivalry, Sporting Kansas City and St. Louis City SC have begun to develop an early rivalry.
COURTESY WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
